Two
by caputdraconis14
Summary: This is a story about two boys: both idolized, heartthrob athletes. One comfortable with who he is, but unwilling to share. The other trying to convince himself he's someone he's not. And finally their stories intertwine. AlbusXScorpius Pairing  Slash .
1. Of the Attractive and the Average

**_A/N: Hello! Welcome to my newest fic. First off, disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. That obviously belongs to JKR. Now, I just want to say thanks for reading. I hope you enjoy. Warning: Here be slash! Anyway... I just want to say that this fic really hits home with me and is shockingly personal, even though I am a straight female writer. I don't know why this is, honestly. There is angst here, and there is fluff and romance. And hormones and bullying and a desperate need to be something that is unattainable and unrealistic. But happiness too. So I hope you enjoy it! caputdraconis14_**

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><p><strong><em>Chapter 1:<em>**

**_Of the Attractive and the Average _**

"Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts…" he hummed under his breath, walking through the walls of Hogwarts, alone. He was out of bounds. It was after dark. If he came across a teacher, they would probably get mad at him. But he was the head boy, after all, and he could pass it off as rounds, or a suspicion that Slytherin boys were out of bed.

Scorpius ran his hand across the cold stone, feeling the chill underneath his fingertips, the history imbedded in the stone. He was back, and he was quite pleased about it. Hogwarts was his second home, the place where he understood and was understood.

Life was good here. His friends were here, and the world was quiet. He was smart, he was talented, and athletic. He was enviable. It was an interesting existence, to say the least. Scorpius Malfoy, Slytherin Qudditch captain and star seeker, top of the class. He was, if he did say so himself, good looking.

There were problems of course. He wasn't the ladies' man of the Hogwarts rumor mill. He was anything but. They could fawn on him all they wanted, and the chances of him giving them a second glance… unlikely. It was just the way he was, and he'd known that for some time now.

Still. It was good to be back. He couldn't deny that. No matter the false notions and whatnot. Hogwarts was a place where he truly felt like he fit. He belonged in the Slytherin dormitory, with his friends, and he ruled the school easily, and snobby as that sounded, it was basically a fact. The teachers loved him. The headmaster, Professor Thomas loved him. It was easy.

He smiled a little, heading back toward the dormitory. It was going to be a good year. He knew it already, and he was glad of it. This was the sort of couple of moments, all strung together, that could change his life forever. He liked the thought of that. The future was pretty bright, no matter what direction it took, and he would climb over quite a bit to get there.

He murmured the password to the brick wall, and it dissolved to the sides, letting him enter the common room. He walked down the steps into the pit, where seventh years were still lazing around, some asleep on the low leather couches.

His best friend, Scarlet, was attempting to build a house of Exploding Snap cards, a determined expression on her face, biting her tongue.

"How was the midnight prowl, oh head boy, sir?" she teased, looking up at him. He took a seat in one of the wooden chairs on the other side of the table, watching her through the holes in the skeleton of a house.

"Nice as always," he said, stretching his arms above his head.

"Oh?" she said. "Good, good. I'm glad. Not that I don't think it's weird. But all the same."

"You should go to bed," he said as the cards exploded and she frowned at the smoldering pile.

"Hypocrite," she said.

"You get whiny when you don't get enough sleep, and I'm the one that has to deal with it," he said.

She turned her frown up to look at him. "Why don't you go to bed then? _You _get dramatic. And _I'm _the one that has to deal with that, and trust me, I don't enjoy it at all."

"Both of us to bed then?" he said. "Is that what we've decided? I imagine it's a bit of a toxic combination if I'm dramatic and you're whiny."

'Ah… but… I'm not tired," she said.

He sighed, looking at her. "Don't talk to me tomorrow then. I won't be listening to you complain'

"And I won't listen to your tale of woe part four hundred sixty-three," she said. "I'm good. I've done the rest of them."

"I don't have a tale of woe!" he said. "Merlin."

"Yes you do!" she said. She dropped her voice. "Oh Merlin, no one will ever love me, or I'll never love anyone, that what I get for being at Hogwarts and being seventeen and being—"

He covered her mouth with his hand. "You're so annoying." He narrowed his eyes. "Keep your mouth shut, will you? And I don't sound like that."

"Well that is your mantra,' she said. "That things would be a lot easier for you if you were—"

"Scarlet!" he growled.

"Well, I'm just saying, everyone else is conked out, and well… it's not like your life wouldn't be easier. Still, Scorpius. No one knows. They think the exact opposite," she said, waving her hand casually with many of those words.

He glared at her. "I know. And that's sort of the difficult part."

'You're allowed to tell them," she said. "No one is saying it's not allowed."

"Because that wouldn't be awkward," he said, rolling his eyes. "Dorm room and Quidditch lockers would become mighty tense all of a sudden, I assure you."

"I'm sure they would," she said. "But you can't have it both ways, Scorpius. Even you aren't that lucky. The universe doesn't smile upon you that much."

"So far, the universe has smiled on me a lot," he said. "And then it turned around and made it a little harder."

"But not impossible," she said. "I don't think anything would be impossible for you, Scorp."

"We'll see," he said, grinning a little.

-CD-

Albus sprawled on his back, looking up at the ceiling. Around him, the scarlet hangings fluttered gently in the breeze from the open window. It was good to be back for another year of weird Hogwarts life. Not that he wasn't already stressing a little.

Thoughts had been bouncing around like toxic chemicals in the back of his head since the summer before the one that just ended, and they were always intensified at Hogwarts. He couldn't deny that he tried to smother them, every single time. In fact, he wasn't even sure what they were at this point. So if it was his decision… these thoughts were nothing. Absolutely nothing. Teenage hormones.

Besides. He had a great year ahead of him. He already knew that. Finally, he was free of the weight of James's constant stare over him. The teachers weren't sure whether to be afraid or happy. James and Albus Potter together were a scary pair of trouble-makers. Would the lack of the older boy tone Albus down, or just allow for a blossoming of some ideas and actions that had previously been smothered by James's Potter's watchful eye?

And then, Albus was the Quidditch captain. He had been since his fifth year, much to the dismay of James. Albus was a seeker, and he was a damn good one. James had been the keeper, and desperate for the captains position. Professor Longbottom had barricaded himself in his office on the first day of classes to hide from James demanded answers. It took a week of practice for James to accept that Albus was just more… Quidditch savvy.

In his fourth year, the last year of the captaincy of his cousin Roxanne, they had lost the cup to Slytherin in the final. But since fifth year, it had sat proudly on the shelf in Professor Longbottom's office, right next to the house cup, which had been floating around occasionally, but was currently in the hands of Gryffindor.

Yes. And in his seventh year, he was going to keep the cup. The Quidditch one. He couldn't possibly care less about the house cup. Whoever wanted it could have it, and he wouldn't complain. As long as the Quidditch cup was his—okay, okay, Gryffindor's!—and the new plaque went up in the trophy room, with his name carved in gold… _Albus Potter- Captain, Seeker. _He could see it if he closed his eyes, imprinted on the back of his eyelids. Not that there weren't already two plaques that said that… he just wanted a third. Pretty much more than he had ever wanted anything, actually…

Quidditch was his life. He lived and breathed it. He dreamed about broomsticks and got a tingle in his stomach every time he smelled broomstick polish. He was an encyclopedia of facts, a walking and talking _Quidditch Through the Ages. _His favorite team was the Montrose Magpies, and rumors were spinning, mostly delivered by Professor Longbottom, that there would soon be offers floating around him for potential spots on teams. But those were just rumors. Just rumors.

HE had to keep telling himself that so he didn't get his hopes up. He knew that. That's what his mum told him. His mum the professional Quidditch player. Merlin, all Albus wanted to do was make his own name for himself, but his parents had pretty much long-since covered that.

For one thing, his father was Harry Potter. That had a lot of weight and came with a lot of expectations. Albus, James, and Lily were expected to be talents—though as their dad admitted he wasn't actually that fantastic at school. Just on the good end of average—and they were expected to be wonderful, amazing parents to live up to the name of the guy that defeated Voldemort. Their mum said it wasn't anything they should worry about. They just had to be themselves— even Harry Potter had been a bit of a troublemaker in school. In fact, according to Harry himself, he had succeeded in losing fifty points for his house in one sitting, combined with fifty each for Aunt Hermione and the now Professor Longbottom, each of them for being out of bed after hours and wandering the school.

But being himself was harder than Albus imagined. He didn't know who he was, and he was afraid to question it—or at least, afraid of the answers. He wished he didn't have to ask. He wished everything would just be obvious. Thinking about it all was just too hard to do.

The snores of his roommates echoed across the stone dormitory. He continued to stare at the ceiling, the stones, the dark gray… He pushed the hangings on his bed open a little, letting in the moonlight. His bed was next to the window, and the light shone blue on the stone floor. A gentle breeze, the smell of northern Scotland, drifted in through the slight crack. He felt the wind on his face, and took a deep breath, turning his face to the window.

He couldn't sleep. Stuffed full of food from the feast, he was in an ideal shape to conk right out. If he couldn't sleep now, it meant that he probably wouldn't get to sleep before the night was out. A good and chipper way to start out the first day of classes.

What else could he do but stay there and watch out the window, green eyes open. He loved Hogwarts. He loved everything about it. But sometimes he wished he went there alone. It would be easier to figure things out without all of the people that surrounded him on a daily basis, telling him how he was and how he ought to be. People like Albus had very little time to themselves. Maybe he brought it upon himself. Maybe. But sometimes he wished it would all just be gone.

He didn't want to be Harry Potter's son. He didn't want to be talented and, apparently, attractive. He just wanted to be like every other guy that walked down the corridors and attended classes. Not exceedingly talented or popular. Just average.

He rolled over, looking away from the window, toward the dark hangings.

But he would never be average, and well, he knew that.


	2. Weasley Blood is Thicker

**Chapter 2:**

**Weasley Blood is Thicker Than... Anything**

The Great Hall was nearly vacant on the first morning when Scorpius entered it happily. He took a place quietly at the Slytherin table and pulled out his book on Arithmancy and scooped himself some porridge into a shining bowl. It would be a good twenty minutes before Scarlet finally appeared, and his other friends were fighting over the bathroom in the dormitory. He always got up early to avoid the fighting and spraying of water all over the place.

The Gryffindor table was less full than the Slytherin table, but as always in the mornings, the Weasley and Potter mass of an extended family was filing slowly to start the trend. Rose Weasley was there, reading a book as well in order to combat Scorpius—she wouldn't win—and so was Albus, the only other Weasley blooded kid in his year. Albus and Rose were his two arch rivals in the flesh. It was with Rose that he competed in the classroom, and with Albus on the Quidditch pitch. Scorpius was a fine seeker, and he had made many spectacular catches in his time at Hogwarts, but only when playing Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff. The Gryffindor seeker was just too good, and it irked him, because that meant they very rarely won against the Gryffindor team.

Not that Rose and Albus both weren't decent people. They were probably as decent as it came, most of the time. Rose especially was nicer than anyone he had ever met , save for maybe her cousin Molly, who had just finished the year ahead of them. Albus was nice, yes, but he had a reputation equal in length to his spectacular Quidditch record, which was the only thing that made Scorpius doubt his decency.

The pair, however, were inseparable, and that was that. If you messed with Rose, you messed with Albus, and vice versa. But why anyone would mess with a Weasley relative was beyond Scorpius. The amount of family they had to back them up made it completely not worth it.

-CD-

"Coffee," Albus said.

"Are your arms broken?" Lily demanded from across the table. "It's barely a foot away from you."

Albus glared at her and poured himself a cup of black coffee, sniffing the glorious, wonderful, delightful smell…

"He's in love," Rose teased, chuckling a little.

"I think he just might be," Fred agreed, plopping down on the other side of Lily. "When are Quidditch trials, oh captain sir?"

Albus grinned. "What, doubt you'll make it or something?"

"I don't doubt anything," Fred said. "I'm just wondering."

"What do you think he's reading?" Rose wondered, craning her neck.

"Who?" Albus wondered, craning his neck in an equally ostentatious fashion. He knew who she was gawking at instantly, because she always glowered at the same person. Scorpius Malfoy. Rose had a bit of a problem not being right one hundred percent of the time. It led to her very nearly stalking her arch nemesis, Malfoy, to find out his exact study moves, and then to become quite distressed when she found out he spent more time on the Quidditch pitch than in the library, while still pulling off marks identical to hers.

"I just need to know!" she complained, now standing with her entire body craning in the direction of the Slytherin table. If Scorpius looked up, Albus imagined he would laugh, and Rose would probably fall prostrate in the vat of oatmeal in the middle of the table.

"Why does it matter?" Albus demanded, returning to his bacon and eggs.

"Because he's a superhuman," she said. "And I want to know his secret for retention of facts and the ability to be damn good at Quidditch."

"He's not that great," Albus said.

"Well he'd look a lot better if you didn't go to this school," Lily said. "But I think Rose fancies him anyway."

Rose shot her cousin a disgusted look from above as she settled back down into an appropriate sitting position.

"Never," she said. "I like someone else."

"Who?" Albus said, his voice getting louder.

"Shut up, prat," she said. "The whole hall will hear you."

"There're only about ten people here, so big deal," Fred said, putting far too much jam on his toast.

Hugo dumped into the seat on the other side of Lily.

"What are we talking about?" he wondered.

"Nothing of importance," Rose said as Lily contributed, "Who your sister fancies."

"Who?" Hugo asked, just as Albus had.

"No one, now shut up," Rose snapped, pulling out a potions textbook and tuning them all out. Finally Lucy joined them, the final member of the Weasley and Potter family who studied at Hogwarts. They had lost a great group of relatives after the last year, with James, Dominique and Molly all leaving Hogwarts. It was weird, in Albus' opinion, to finally be the oldest. He was older than Rose by a couple of months. But it was strange, as James had always sort of just been there to offer his usually not wanted brotherly advice. It always came out snarky, and usually rude, but at the same time, in a twisted way, it was always pretty helpful.

Albus looked up once more, toward the Slytherin table, to see Scorpius Malfoy looking back at him. Immediately, the boy with the bright blonde head of hair dipped his head and returned to his book.

-CD-

"Malfoy!" his friend, Kirk Mandel, fellow Slytherin seventh year, plopped into a seat at the table for four in the Potions classroom. The only remaining Slytherins in Potions were Kirk, Scorpius, Scarlet, and Scorpius' other friend Max.

"Hello," Scorpius said pleasantly, raising an eyebrow.

"When are Quidditch trials?" Kirk asked, fishing around in his chaotic bag.

"I have yet to set them up," Scorpius said. "But you'll be the first to know."

"Actually," Scarlet contributed. "I'll be the first to know. He's already let me back on the team."

Scarlet was a beater. When Scorpius first heard she was trying for the position in their third year, he laughed at her. She hit him in the face with a beater's bat, outshone all of the competition and settled into the position without a further word from him.

"Yeah, I figured," Kirk said. He would be going out for a chasing position, and he'd been on the team only since fifth year, but Scorpius figured he'd be let on again. He was decent enough.

"What's this I hear?" Albus Potter contributed. The Slytherins never really associated with the Gryffindors, unless in an attempt to talk trash in relation to Quidditch. No harm was truly meant by it, but a rivalry remained, and every word that was said was meant fully by whoever said it.

"Nothing of your concern, Potter," Scarlet contributed.

"Just talking about the makings of my outstanding, championship-winning Quidditch team," Scorpius said, smirking.

"Was this in a dream you had?" Albus said. "It sounds charming. But alas, only a dream, Mr. Malfoy. There is only one championship-winning team at Hogwarts, and they do not wear green and silver."

"I suppose you think—" Scarlet began, fighting battles Scorpius wished to fight himself. They were cut off, however, by Professor McClintock, who started barking at them to take their seats.

'Just a suggestion, Malfoy," Rose Weasley contributed. "I wouldn't have your girlfriend fight your battles for you." She whisked away to sit across from Albus, who was sitting with the one and only Natalia Regis, muggle-born beauty, if you liked dark hair—and Scorpius supposed he _did _like dark hair, but he wasn't much for big breasts, and she certainly had those. Either way, she was taken, it would appear, by one Albus Potter. Or at least, very, very much hoping to be taken.

He turned to take notes on everything that Professor McKlintock said, so that he would be certain to outshine Rose Weasley, no matter what.

It was sort of hard to concentrate, with what clearly was intense flirting go on one table over. Albus and Natalia were whispering to each other, and passing notes, and Rose, despite her deep relationship with Albus, looked ready to shove her quill through his hand. Or, perhaps, as her hand continued to twitch toward her wand, hex him into silence and immobility so that he had no choice _but _to listen to the lecture.

Scorpius couldn't help but agree with her. As much as he couldn't care less who Albus Potter flirted with, he did care if it interfered with his learning experience. After all, he quite enjoyed potions, and wasn't all that keen on missing out on important information because of a particularly loud squeal of mirth from Natalia.

"Mr. Potter, Miss Regis, if you have something so outrageously amusing, why don't you share with the rest of the class?" Professor McClintock demanded. Albus swallowed, looking up at the rail thin, very tale, woman.

"It's nothing, Professor," he said, looking worried. Natalia didn't quite help matters as she attempted to hide her giggles behind a weakly flopped palm. Scorpius rolled his eyes. Gryffindors. They were a unique lot. Exceedingly flirty and quite sexual, from what he gathered. By far more than any other house, at least in terms of how _openly _cavalier they were. It made Scorpius want to cover the eyes and ears in towns a hundred miles away.

He wasn't a prude—no he was certainly _not _a prude. But there was a limit to public affection before other people began to vomit, and it was being pushed regularly by most Gryffindors fourth to seventh year.

Albus and his little playmate weren't that close yet, but it was well on the way.

Professor McClintock rolled her eyes and moved back to stand in front of the class and teach. Albus kept elbowing the dark haired girl next to him to get her to stay quiet. If anything, it just made her laugh harder every time.

"Why do you keep glaring at your paper?" Scarlet hissed at him.

"Shh…" he hissed back. He didn't want Professor McClintock mad at him too.

"It's a valid question," she whispered. "It looks like you're going to tear through it with your quill because it has done you a great personal wrong."

"I'm going to tear through you with my quill," he spat back.

"See…" she said. "This is what happens when you don't go to bed at a reasonable hour. You get dramatic. Which means all of your emotions are on full steam ahead. I knew this was going to happen. Why do I put up with you?"

"And this is what happens when _you _don't go to bed at a reasonable hour," he returned. "You get whiny. Now shut up. It's bad enough I have to concentrate through the flirting. I don't need you hissing in my ear."

She rolled her eyes and turned back to her notes, which were mostly a complex doodle of some sort of magical plant—for some reason, she was fascinated with plants. She would copy Scorpius' notes later and probably his essays too. She would readily admit that the only NEWT class she got in without benefitting from his hard work and unwavering attention span was Herbology.

He rolled his eyes right back at her and turned to his own notes. He tuned back into the lecture, knowing that he'd catch up on whatever else there was to catch up on later when he got his potions book out again.

And the giggling at the Gryffindor group did not stop. He saw Rose reach over and physically slap Albus across the face. He couldn't help but chuckle gently under his breath. It was about time someone shut them up and Rose Weasley was probably the only one in that entire classroom, Miss Head Girl, that could actually do that. Too bad she wasn't his type, because if she was he might actually be able to appreciate her.


	3. Anticipated Unanticipated Happenings

**Chapter 3:**

**Anticipated Unanticipated Happenings**

_Come on, Albus. Why, why, can't you just be attracted to her? _He stared at the pair of… well there was no other way to put it… very large boobs in front of him. Yes. He was just gaping at them. Rather rudely, actually, but Natalia didn't seem to mind.

Damn, the girl had everything. A big chest, a great face, nice hair… and yet, he didn't find any of it appealing.

So he stared, because he figured if he stared long enough he would start wanting what he saw. It was better that way. Just like them. _Just like them. _

"She has eyes you know," Lily contributed from the other side of the table.

Lunch in the Great Hall was in full swing. The noises of midday chitchat and silverware scraping on plates filled the air. Natalia had decided that she would sit with the massive Weasley family plus Potters, who, no matter the age differences among them, nor the interest variations, always managed to end up sitting near each other.

And now, of course, Albus was trying to convince himself. It was easy, sometimes, to do just that. But there was a problem and—

"Natalia, I apologize for my cousin. He is apparently fixated," Rose said forlornly.

"It's quite alright," Natalia said, touching Albus' cheek. Rose had interrupted his train of thought, which had been almost working. He wanted to slap her.

"I think I'm going to be sick," Albus contributed, standing up and walking right on out of the hall. The rest of the family watched in shock as he rushed from view.

Annoyed, Albus, tucked himself behind a secret passageway, where he was unlikely to be interrupted during lunch on the first day of classes. He settled on the first step, looking down at his hands, which had become very sweaty all of a sudden.

_It's because she's a very pretty girl. _

Yeah. And not any other reason.

He sighed and looked down at his hands.

The portrait that hid the end of the secret passageway swung open and Albus looked up. Scorpius Malfoy walked through the entrance, overstuffed bag that was even bigger than Rose's swung from his shoulder. Albus had some sort of snide Quidditch comment built up, but he honestly couldn't think of it. Besides. Malfoy was Head Boy. Despite them being on equal status the year before as prefects, Malfoy could not take points off of his house for whatever he felt like. Albus wondered if he was a power abuser.

"Potter," Malfoy said, sounding surprised.

"Malfoy," Albus returned, standing up quickly to head back out of the secret passageway.

"Are you all right?" Malfoy asked. It was Albus' turn to be surprised. Malfoy actually sounded genuine.

"I'm fine," Albus said, forcing out a laugh. "Why wouldn't I be?" The last thing he needed was for Malfoy to turn this around and spout it off to the rest of the school, a cruel Quidditch taunt.

"I don't know,' Malfoy said, "it just seemed…"

"Like what?" Albus demanded. "I'm fine."

"Okay," Malfoy said, holding up his hand. "I'll take your word for it."

"Yeah," Albus said. 'Okay."

"You should make it look less like you're upset about something if you want other people to believe you," Malfoy suggested.

"It's really none of your business, Malfoy," Albus snapped, shoving his hands into the pockets of his pants.

"I'm just suggesting," Malfoy said, shrugging and raising a pale eyebrow. His gray ice eyes freaked Albus out. They always had. He didn't know what it was about them, but they really just… freaked him out! He didn't know how else to say it.

"What does it matter to you?" Albus grumbled, wishing his feet would listen to him and go up the stairs or down the stairs and just leave.

"It doesn't,' Malfoy said. "Trust me."

He turned and headed up the stairs and, without thinking, sunk right through the trick step.

Albus highly debated just leaving him there, but he figured that, if anything, was a sure way to get a whole avalanche of points taken from his house.

"Well this is embarrassing," Malfoy commented, rolling his eyes at the step.

Albus seized him under the arm and pulled him out of the step.

"Thank you, Potter," Malfoy said.

"You're welcome," Albus replied coolly.

He turned and went the other way down the steps as Malfoy continued his ascent. Albus pushed the portrait open and stepped back into the corridor. He still felt mildly nauseas, and didn't care much for the idea of returning to the Great Hall for lunch, as well as the concerned eyes of his cousins and the waiting hands of the somewhat touchy-feely Natalia Regis.

-CD-

Scorpius pushed open the door the library, clearing his throat and taking a deep breath. This was not something he had anticipated.

The color of Albus Potter's eyes was intense. That was all. And it was mildly frightening to be hit with all of a sudden. He'd seen them before. He could've sworn it. But then, he realized, that in his time at Hogwarts, he'd never actually had a conversation with Albus Potter that wasn't an argument about Quidditch. In all seven years. Not a kind word of regular conversation.

-CD-

"Homework," Scorpius said.

"Is an atrocious form of forced labor designed by teachers at boarding schools and schools such as Hogwarts in order to keep the students from getting in trouble," Scarlet finished. "That _is _where you were going right?"

"Of course," Scorpius said, rolling his eyes and dipping his quill in ink.

"We didn't have any decent classes today," she said.

"I apologize heartily," Scorpius said, turning his eyes to his parchment and easily beginning the potions essay.

"I can tell you don't care," she said, rolling her eyes now at him.

"Well I would, but see, it's not my fault," he said.

"What are you writing about?" she said, looking at the blank parchment in front of her. "I feel like I don't remember anything from Potions this morning."

"Maybe you should pay attention," he suggested.

"But then you would feel so useless if you didn't have to help me write my essays every single time," she said, grinning.

"Oh yes," he said. "The only I have to do in my life that is of any satisfaction to me is to let you copy off my notes and essays all of the time."

She pursed her lips and was quiet for a moment, pulling her potions book toward her.

"Scorpius?" she asked finally, her voice sweet.

"Yes?" he said, not looking up at her.

"Could I maybe possibly borrow your notes from Potions this morning? Please?"

"Do you think I might possibly need to use my notes to write the essay?" he questioned, dipping his quill back in the ink.

"Well, not really," she said. "Because you remember everything anyway."

He glared at her and pushed the notebook he had used in Potions class across the table to her. They were settled in the common room, which, he would admit, was not the most ideal study area. First years were still bubbling with excitement, bouncing all over the place and making noise. Even the second years were joining in. They didn't fathom that the fifth through seventh years might possibly have a little more homework than they did.

"Thank you!" Scarlet said happily, turning to his notes to write her essay.

Every year, he swore she was on her own, and as soon as they got started with the first homework assignment, he gave in. Always. She returned it in kind by helping him in the one subject that ever gave him trouble—herbology. Scorpius had every intention of becoming an Auror, which meant his academic skills in the core curriculum were extremely well-rounded but mid-fifth year, as he was preparing for the OWL exams that would determine the courses he would take, he was only averaging acceptable. In Herbology. It sounded ludicrous, that the kid who could make Outstandings in Arithmancy, Transfiguration, Charms, Defense and Potions, would struggle with Herbology. But it was the only class where he did not have the top marks. Scarlet was what helped him get that last E, to balance out the eight Os he had. He comforted himself with the fact that Rose Weasley had the same problem in Potions. She had managed her E, but apparently not without a lot of effort and help from Albus Potter who was probably the other talented potions student in Hogwarts.

Professor Higgs, head of Slytherin house and current Ancient Ruins professor, entered the common room then. He was fairly laid back, but the first years didn't know that yet, and each of them stopped what they were doing in fear of some sort of impending anger that wasn't going to come.

"Mr. Malfoy," Professor Higgs said, walking over to him and offering out a piece of parchment. "Already, these are the people that want to play for the house team this year. If you could put a sign-up sheet up in the common room here, once you decide on a day for trials, it would probably be a little more organized."

"I can do that," Scorpius said, taking the list. It was a daunting list. A lot of chasers were interested, which was a good thing, because two of the three chasers, one of the beaters, and the keeper had all left Hogwarts at the end of the last school year, and there were no guarantees that Kirk Mandel would get back on the team as a chaser either. It looked like a good list, but Scorpius decided that trials were going to be a long experience.

"All right then," Professor Higgs said. "How is everything going then, for the first day? Everyone behaving themselves?"

"Yes they are," Scorpius said, laughing.

"I figured," he said. "They all know not to misbehave too much in front of the head boy."

Higgs rolled his eyes, laughing. "The Head Boy was a Ravenclaw my seventh year. That'd be your father's first year, then, Scorpius. He took my spot on the Quidditch team when I left."

"That he did," Scorpius said, chuckling still.

"I wasn't good enough to be more than a prefect," Higgs said. "But that sort of happens. Ah well, good luck for the rest of the week. I'm certain I'll see you in class."

"You're _still _taking Ancient Ruins?" Scarlet said as Professor Higgs left the common room.

"Why not?" he said. "It's just as interesting as anything else."

"But it doesn't relate in any way to what you want to do…" she said.

"So what?" he said. "Who cares?"

"I care," she said.

"Yes, I can tell. Because it greatly affects your life," he said scathingly.

-CD-

"Are you feeling better?" Rose asked him as he worked on the Potions essay. Albus was stretched on the floor of the common room in front of the fireplace, which was causing him to be quite hot.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Albus said.

He had been in a grumpy mood, which his cousins attributed to his mystery illness, for the rest of the day.

"Okay," she said. "Are you sure? Because you look kind of pale."

"I'm fine, Rose," he assured her, writing a concluding sentence on his essay. He smiled, thankful that he was done, even though Potions was his favorite subject.

"Are you done already?" she said, shocked.

"Yes," he said, grinning. "Need help?'

"I'm _fine," _she said. "I just… didn't realize you wrote so quickly. Are you sure it's the right length?"

Albus waved his wand through the air. A set of measurements appeared in gold loopy writing, letting him know how long the parchment he had used was.

"Some of the spells you know…" Rose said. "Silent spells too…"

"I'm a body full of secrets," Albus said, rolling onto his back.

"Who has to practice his Transfiguration for homework too," Rose said.

'Yeah, yeah," he said. "I wasn't that bad today. I'm just not naturally gifted."

"But you weren't exceedingly talented either," she said.

"Shut up and do your potions homework and then talk to me about not being exceedingly talented," he snapped.

"You are so grumpy!"

-CD-

_**A/N: Quickly I want to say thank you to ilikepie2013 because she basically betas for me though not officially. And as much as I don't reply to her text messages telling me that I've spelled this and that wrong and so on and so forth, becuase they make me grumpy like Albus, she is the reason that these things are more proofread than usual... **_

_**And Now, for a quick sample of what's to come in the next chapter: "If you can't handle my captaining then get off the pitch!" **_


	4. I Spy Albus Potter

**Chapter 4:**

**I Spy... Albus Potter**

"All right…" Albus said, looking at the group of people in front of him. "Quidditch. That's why we're all here, is it not?"

They all sort of gave him a "duh" expression and he nodded. Trials, no matter how many times he did them, never actually got easier…

"Just because you've been on the team before does not mean you'll be back on the team," he said. "You need to be able to fly well, work well with others, and play your position well."

In front of him, Fred, Rose and Lily yawned. They were all awaiting their usual positions. Beater for Fred, keeper for Rose and chaser for Lily.

"I want to tell you all right now. Obviously, a lot of people closely related to me are going out for these positions," he said. "That sort of happens. And I'm not letting anyone on because they're my family members. If I let them on, it's because they're the best person for the job. And I don't want any complaining about it later."

In his fifth year, the team had been him, Fred, Rose, Lily and James, and there had been an uproar then. They had added Dominique to the team last year, for her first year playing chaser, and then a bigger uproar occurred. He hoped, with fewer family members on the team this year, the complaining would be kept to a minimum.

"All right," he said. "To refresh everyone's memory, I'm the seeker. I'm looking for every other position, which means a keeper, two beaters and three chasers." He ran through what the specific tasks of each position were and then commanded them to start in with easy laps of the pitch in order to weed out the less… _talented… _fliers.

When they were back on the ground and he'd sent a few young first and second years away to either sit in the stands or go back to the castle, he divided everyone up into small teams based on the positions they wanted to play. He watched from the air as two of the four teams he had made started a game, sans seeker and snitch.

By the time both sets of teams had played, he had Rose back on as his keeper and Fred as one of his beaters. He was holding off on Lily, because he wanted her to prove herself. It would save him a lot less trouble if she played in an obviously spectacular way. She was his sister, and he would hear griping about him letting her on the team no matter what. He was already hearing loud complaints from the stands about family favoritism.

"If you can't handle my captaining, then get off the pitch!" He finally resorted to shouting his face off at the stands from atop his broomstick. "The decisions have been made, and if you want to keep talking and disrupting my trials, I'll call out Professor Longbottom." The griping stopped. Some people actually did leave.

He added a chaser, Lionel Thomason, and then another beater, his roommate Owen, who was a fairly close friend of his. He gave in and added Lily after that when she made a spectacular throw against Rose, who nearly fell off her broom trying to save it. The final member he added to the team was his third chaser, shockingly talented second year, Ella Maxwell.

"Okay," he said. "I'm actually quite happy with what we have here."

He watched the final rejected hopefuls head to the castle. He had taken several of their names for reserve, in case one of his players was injured.

"But," he said. "We need to go through a few more things. I want to see us fly as a team, and then we'll go get the new members fitted for robes."

They flew several laps of the pitch, with Albus drifting from the front of the line, to the back, and everywhere in between. He gave the chasers the Quaffle and worked on a few formations. This was a good team. He knew it.

A flash of bright blonde caught his eye. He looked down over the pitch to see Scorpius Malfoy and a stream of Slytherin students gathering on the pitch. Malfoy stood with his beater, Scarlet, who was trying to calm down the excited crowd.

"All right," Albus said abruptly. "We're done. Don't need the Slytherins stealing our secrets."

They all rocketed toward the ground, and landed with seven staggered thuds on the fresh green pitch grass.

"Why'd you stop so soon, Potter?' Scarlet teased, laughing as the Gryffindor's headed toward the locker room as a team. Albus and the others ignored the comments of the Slytherin team.

-CD-

Thanking Merlin for Invisibility Cloaks, Albus climbed carefully into the stands, trying not to make any noise. His feet creaked on the wood, but the rush of the afternoon wind up in the stands covered it well enough.

He was a staunch opponent of spying during the regular season, but every year, he saw absolutely no harm of it in trials. It was the only way he was able to see the exact strength of the opposing teams. Yesterday, Saturday, he had spent a good hour in the stands, observing as Lysander and Lorcan Scamander established a Quidditch team for Ravenclaw—Lysander was the captain- and then the Hufflepuffs and their captain, Wadsworth. Albus was the only captain, as far as he knew, that had this advantage.

He knew that Scoprius Malfoy was a very good seeker. The only time the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw seekers got a chance to catch the snitch was when they played each other. But Albus always got to catch the snitch, no matter who he was playing. Malfoy though, was a broader build, in comparison to the usual seeker. Wider shoulders. Albus himself wasn't a scrawny guy, but he was a narrowed, lean muscled type. And Malfoy himself wasn't bulky, but broad. There was just a fine line between Malfoy and Albus, and Scorpius was on the thicker side.

Malfoy had similar captain techniques to Albus—Albus was a little more refined, but Scorpius had the same command about him. People listened to him, or he yelled at them. It worked.

Albus wasn't cocky. He knew he had his work cut out for him in the coming months. His Quidditch team would be training harder than ever. There were no guarantees that Gryffindor would win. He knew that. But he was going to do everything in his power to make them win… Except for cheat. Other than the occasionally attempt at spying. But the Slytherins were master spies, so it didn't really matter.

-CD-

Scorpius gazed proudly at his newly-formed team in the locker room. They were all trying on their robes, bright emerald filling the room between the lockers. He had his robes from last year still—he hadn't stopped growing, so he had needed to extend them a little, but it worked. His name letters of his name had been stitched on the back above the number one, and the Slytherin crest was on his left front, with the silver C for Captain on the other side.

His new keeper was an improvement over last year's, a fourth year by the name of Colton Peters. To join Scarlet, he had added a sixth year named Nicolas—Nick for short. His chasers were Kirk Mandel, a sixth year named Jackie Oaks and another fourth year-and perhaps the best flier he'd seen all day other than Scarlet-Tessa.

He was glad of the team he had put together. They looked like the hard –working group he needed in order to finally take the cup from Gryffindor. He wanted that cup. If anyone was concerned. He didn't know what was going to happen with the cup, but he was going to try his hardest.

Scarlet was swinging her new bat happily, running it through her hand. Everyone looked very happy to be where they were. He was glad. He was happy to be there too.

"Okay, so do all of your robes fit?" he asked.

The all nodded and contributed their yeses and yeps

"Good," he said. "Okay. Well, we'll get names on the back for those of you who aren't using robes from last year. I'll be number one, and keeper is number two, so that'll be you Colton, and then Kirk will be three, Jackie four and Tessa five. Scarlet'll be six and Nick seven. Sound good to everyone?"

They all nodded again.

"Talkative lot," he said, laughing a little. "Good team, though, I think. I post a training schedule in the next couple of days, so check the board in the common room. If you have something that interferes with training, you need to let me know twenty-four hours before, if you can. Obviously, there are extenuating circumstances. But you are expected to show up to all practices without a valid excuse, and if you miss too many, you're off the team. This is a commitment and it means quite a bit to many people here. If you cannot be dedicated, then you cannot be on the team.

"That being said, I think we're going to have a great year. I'd like that cup. I'd like it a lot. You can't tell me you wouldn't like it too. But it's not everything. We're going to train as hard as we can. I already know Gryffindor has a great team. They wouldn't have it any other way. Albus and Lily Potter would play every position if they were the only talented ones that showed up. So we have to work very hard."

As they finished up in the locker room, locking away their brooms and robes, Scorpius couldn't help but grin. He did love playing Quidditch.

Scarlet waited for him as he checked the safe in the captain's office to make sure his plays were still there. She was walking on the benches, swinging her legs up to touch her toes one after the other. Her bright orange hair fluttered behind her. She jumped off the bench and landed on the tiles when he was ready.

"So," she said. "Did you see the Gryffindor team?"

"Yes," he said. "They looked good."

"That's from sitting on broomsticks," she said. "It accents the arse."

"That's not what I meant," he said, rolling his eyes. "I meant they looked talented. With the two Potters, and then Fred and Rose Weasley, it's already a stacked team. I don't know the level of skill the rest of them have, but I'm sure it's a good level."

"Yeah, I know," she said. "What is it about that Weasley and Potter blood, huh?"

"Well, I know where it comes from in the Potter family," he said. "Their mum was a pro Quidditch player, and Harry Potter was a really good seeker in his day."

"Oh right, their mum was a Holyhead Harpie! I completely forgot," she said. 'Well at least they don't brag about it much. For a bunch like them, they sure are pretty modest. Unless it comes to Quidditch competition. But then again, we're pretty awful too."

"Yeah, I don't fault them," he said, chuckling.

"Who… is that Potter?" Scarlet demanded, pointing ahead of them. Albus Potter was going in the door ahead of them, dressed thoroughly like a muggle in jeans and a blue and white plaid shirt, hands in his pockets. Whistling. Yes, he was certainly whistling.

"Yeah, that's him," Scorpius said.

"I wonder what he was doing… did you see him in the stands?" Scarlet wondered.

"No…" he said, certain he _would _have noticed Potter if he was watching their trials.

"Well… he is _fit, _isn't he?" she said, laughing a little.

Scorpius rolled his eyes.

"Oh come on!" Scarlet said. "_Look _at him."

"I see him," Scorpius said as they walked in the door. Potter was heading up the stairs in front of them, still whistling.

"Look at that _arse!" _Scarlet said. "You cannot tell me it doesn't look great in those jeans."

"Scarlet, will you shut up?" Scorpius asked her.

"Only if you ask me nicely," she said.

"Not going to happen," he said, rolling his eyes yet again.


	5. The Unattainable Teenage Romance

**Chapter 5.**

**The Unattainable Fun Flirty Random School Teenage Romance **

Albus looked up at her.

"You are…" She smiled, running her hands through his hair.

"What?" he asked, sliding his hands up her back and pulling her closer to him.

Natalia was perched on his waist, straddling him on his bed in the boy's dormitory.

"Cute," she said. "And handsome."

She squeezed the top of his arm.

"And strong," she said arching her back down so that her hair was hanging in thick curtains on either side of her face, which was just inches from his.

Even Albus liked being flattered. He slid his hands carefully up under her shirt, feeling the smooth skin of her back.

"Thanks," he said stupidly, not sure what else there was to say. He didn't know how to flatter her… it didn't come naturally.

She pressed a soft kiss to his lips and he closed his eyes, kissing her back. He waited. He waited for the heat to settle in stomach and then go south from there.

"Am I boring you?' she asked, pulling away and raising a dark, thin, perfect eyebrow.

"No," he said.

"Then why do you seem so bored?" she teased, touching his lips with her thin fingers.

He didn't know it was noticeable. Because he was bored. She just wasn't turning him on. Even when he was in the room there, and Owen told him to "get some, Potter"… well he didn't feel it. He knew friends of his that got aroused just by a girl kissing them for an extended period of time… And well he never really had that problem. He'd been kissing Natalia for a while now, and she was practically sitting—

"Albus!" Rose's voice yet again interrupted his train of thought.

"Get out," he returned.

"What are you doing?" she demanded.

"He said leave," Natalia said.

"Man whore!" Rose said.

"Get out, Rose, please," he said. His cousin's voice in the air was not helping him feel any more into this kiss than he was before.

"Fine," she said.

"Sorry," he told Natalia as the door closed behind Rose.

"It's okay," she said. She smiled at him and touched his cheek again, brushing her nail across it.

She bent her head again and started kissing his neck. He did shudder as she threw her teeth in the mix, but honestly, his neck was very sensitive. He didn't attribute it to much.

"I'm very talented," she said.

"I'll bet," he said. And he did bet. But he wasn't sure he would be boasting talents like the ones she was rumored to have

"Just relax," she said, running her hand through his hair again. "You seem tense."

"Right…" he said, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath again.

-CD-

"Look we all know that you bat for the other team," Scarlet whispered to Scorpius.

"Shh…" he said, glancing at the door.

"No one else can hear," she said, rolling her eyes. "It's just you and me in here. Besides. You're so comfortable with it, I don't get why you wouldn't want anyone else to know."

"Because it would probably get back to my father," he said.

"But I'm just saying… you shouldn't have to get up at four thirty in the morning to make sure you'll avoid all of your roommates because you _feel bad _because there is a slim, tiny _chance _that you _might _catch one of them in their birthday suit and you would feel bad if you were actually attracted to them… That's just self-torture."

"The guys would feel awkward too," he said. "And if they ever find out, which I don't intend to be this year, thank you very much, I would much prefer it if they didn't think I'd been ogling them for the past seven years."

She bounced up and down on his bed while he skimmed a Quidditch magazine.

"Imagine the heartbreak the girls of Hogwarts would experience if they found out that one of the heartthrob Quidditch captains of Hogwarts that they so dream about and lust after was gay…"

"Keep your voice down, Scarlet," he ordered. She was much more cavalier with his secrets than she was with her own.

"I'm just saying," she said.

"Yeah, you're just saying," he said, rolling his eyes.

She was quiet for a moment.

"Hey Scorp?" she asked.

'What?" he replied warily, barely lifting his gaze from the Quidditch magazine.

"Are you happy?" she said. "I mean with all of it? Because you don't exactly get the fun flirty random school teenage romance."

"The fun flirty random school teenage romance?" he repeated.

"Exactly," she said. "You don't get that. Because you're all secretive. I bet there's someone else out there like you."

"_Like _me?" he said. "Scarlet, I'm pretty much just like everyone else. I don't really appreciate that."

"I'm just saying," she said, throwing her hand through the air. "And I'm not trying to be offensive. It's just… if you told someone you might be surprised."

"We've been over this," he said. "It's not the right time. Guys would take it the wrong way. You know how it is… you say you're gay and they just assume you're attracted to every guy who's walked the earth."

"I actually _don't _know how it is," she said, shaking her head.

"Well it's pretty much like this: you like guys Scarlet, and it would be like every guy assumed you liked him because you like guys. And not allowing you to be somewhat selective."

"I see," she said. 'And you're selective."

"Well… yeah," he said. "And the selection is a little more limited. I'm in a minority here. I bet you're right. I bet there is another Hogwarts guy out there… interested in the same things I'm interested in. But that doesn't mean he'll share, or that I'll like him. Or that he'll like me."

"Well, you aren't exactly the stereotypical gay guy," she said. "You're pretty macho, honestly. Even the guy that's the more masculine one in a gay relationship always just sort of… seems like it."

"There's not always a more masculine one, you know," he said.

"Says you," she said.

"There isn't," he said. "it's just two people that… like each other. Love each other. I don't know. I for one would consider myself… masculine… and yet, I am attracted to guys that are masculine. I don't like frail and I don't like girly—honestly, that's why I like _guys _not girls." He laughed awkwardly. This conversation was relatively horrible. "I think that the most attractive guys are guys like… Lorcan and Lysander, Jess Wadsworth, the Hufflepuff captain, and then like… Albus Potter.'

"Potter?" she said, snickering. "I knew you thought he looked nice when we were following him in the other day. He is nice to look at isn't he?"

"I suppose," he said.

"You suppose," she said. "Look, we're both interested in pretty much exactly the same thing. We can certainly gush together, if you'd like. Who else are you going to do this with? But I hate to break it to you Scorp, guys like the Scamander twins, like Wadsworth and Potter… well they tend to like girls."

"But see, as I'm clumped with them quite frequently and most people would say that about me… but yet… I'm not like them," he said. "So there is hope. Perhaps not inside the walls of Hogwarts…"

"But out in the real world, yep, I agree," she said. "You'll find him."

Scorpius figured it out in his fifth year. Before then it had sort of been a question for him, lingering out there, but he tried not to acknowledge. When it got around the time that he started dreaming about sex, he realized that his dreams never really included girls. It was always a guy. Some guy he knew. And he would wake up with completely soiled sheets. He told himself, at first, that it wasn't the end all be all. This didn't say anything about him. Especially if he consciously liked _girls. _But it got to a point when he couldn't ignore it any longer. He got those feelings when he was awake, when he saw a nice-looking guy… and he found himself having day-dreams… well yeah. He sat himself down and said the words out loud. He just knew at that point. After accepting it, life was a little easier. It made sense.

He told Scarlet first. She'd laughed at him until he finally convinced her that he wasn't lying. She said when she thought about it, she probably could've figured it out. But she had never cared to think about it. And then she gave him a hug and said she always wanted to have a gay best friend. He rolled his eyes and said that she should not, under any circumstances, expect him to start enjoy shopping, and other ludicrous things like that.

The problem remained that he didn't know how to tell his parents. His mother would be fine. She would worry about him though, dwell on it and fret that he would have a horrible life of discrimination. His father on the other hand would be ashamed. He'd probably mutter a bunch of things about the end of the Malfoy line and the name in the mud. He would be less than happy. In fact, Scorpius would probably be concerned for his health.

His father was not a cold man. He was a good man, despite his past. But he worried every day about the Malfoy name and bringing it back into a good light. And Scorpius knew that his father would not be okay with this life.

"Anyone catch your eye lately?" Scarlet asked. "Other than Albus Potter, I mean. Of course."

"Albus Potter has not caught my eye," he said. "I just said he's attractive."

"Mm hmm…" she said, grinning brightly. "Boy is he… I would probably do anything if he asked me to. I'll bet he's good in bed."

"Scarlet," Scorpius scolded. "That's kind of rude."

"Why?" she said. "I'll bet you're thinking it too."

"He's very attractive," he said. "And very… very good to look at."

"You like his arse?" she said. "I like his arse."

Scorpius blushed. He still wasn't sure if he was comfortable talking about this with Scarlet, nearly two years after coming to the realization that someone like Albus Potter was the someone he would like…

"But he probably has the personality of a rock," he contributed.

"Or maybe not," she said. "I just keep picturing him shirtless…"

"Have you ever seen him shirtless?" Scorpius asked skeptically. However, he was trying to put up a façade, because honestly, he was picturing Potter shirtless all of a sudden too.

"No," she said. "But I can imagine it's very nice. And you're imagining it too. Right now."

"No I'm not," he said, blushing.

She smiled at him. "Aw."

"Look. Just because I think he's attractive does not make it any different than you finding him attractive! You don't see me going 'aw' at you for thinking him attractive," he said. "Besides. Like I said, personality of a rock. Or an arsehole personality."

"I'm not saying you like him or want to have a life-long relationship with him," she said. "I'm just saying. You're actually admitting that he's good-looking."

"I never denied that," he said.

"You are so frustrating," she said.

"I'd turn that right back around on you," he said. "You act like what I feel is some sort of anomaly. Like it should be oohed and ahed at. I'm just like everyone else. I get attracted in the same way that you do. It's just not, I suppose, the traditional way about it. But who cares? Why should it be treated any differently?"

She smiled a little. "I don't know. I just like to think in a good direction for you."

He raised an eyebrow. "What's that supposed to mean?"


	6. Well, Maybe It's Not Impossible

**Chapter 6**

**Well, Maybe It's Not Impossible**

Albus flopped into a seat at the desk in the back of the Charms classroom. Charms. A subject he was actually decent at. Decent. Not exponentially talented or anything, but moderately good. It was a good way to start the morning, at least, and he was glad for it. He had barely scraped it into his seat before the period began, and Professor Little raised her eyebrows at him. He raised his back, not in the mood to be questioned. He had made it in time, and there was really no need for a debate about it.

He needed to take the most roundabout way to get to Charms, mostly in order to avoid Natalia, who wasn't so much clingy as she was… easy. She was quite willing to spread her legs for Albus just about anywhere, and while he knew he should be eager to take her up on the offer, he wasn't sure he was quite ready to add that to his list of things he'd done. Natalia Regis was known for her big boobs and her just somewhat larger mouth. Every detail about Albus from head to toe would be around school in an hour. And while he appreciated a decent reputation, he needed to make sure it was decent before it spilled out everywhere.

That and she was kind of annoying. Always shoving her boobs in his face and all that.

Thank Merlin, however, she had not actually been allowed to continue on with Charms in the NEWT level, which meant he had a double period without having to get her quirky passed notes which everyone read before they got to him.

The nauseous feeling that had planted itself in Albus' stomach on the first day of classes had not yet disappeared. It wasn't a good nauseous—like butterflies in the stomach, on the cusp of a first love kind of nauseous. It was bad nauseous. Like he might actually vomit all over the desk at any given moment. He was hedging his bets though. In a week he had not spewed, and he had no intention of doing it.

He decided the feelings were directly correlated to the presence of Natalia… among other things. But those other things were things he hid away, like the map his father gave him, tucked deep under everything he had in his trunk, only to be pulled out when he needed it. But these thoughts were not thoughts he needed or would ever need. Or want.

-CD-

Albus walked into the library for lunch. He supposed she would find him there and think it was a great place to have fun… but he was just going there to clear his head and read up on the Quidditch books that were kept in stock and regularly updated each year.

He moved to the back and sat down at a table, hiding the food he was eating in his bag so he didn't get yelled at by the librarian. There were some overachieving students that went to the library during lunch to study and _didn't _eat. But Albus was not an overachiever.

"Is that the new guide to the Irish and British League teams?" another voice asked him as he started going through the pages.

He looked up. Scorpius Malfoy was standing next to him a stack of other books in his arms, but he didn't seem to care.

"Yes it is," Albus said.

"Damn. I was hoping I'd get it before anyone," he said. "I should've gotten it last week."

"I won't be long with it," Albus said, plunging his hand back into his bag to pull out some more of his sandwich. When the food was midway to his mouth, he froze. He was eating in the library in front of the Head Boy.

"Sorry," he said.

"For what?" Malfoy wondered. "Oh? Eating?" He laughed. "I do that all the time."

"Oh," Albus said, turning back to his book.

"Yeah," Malfoy said. He walked to the close set of shelves and started browsing, still carrying the huge stack of library books.

"Do they let you take out that many books at once?" Albus asked.

"I have about five more back in my dormitory," Malfoy said. "They let you if you're the head boy and you have an impeccable library record. You're really only supposed to have about five."

"And you have about six there. And you're adding more," Albus said.

"Just study materials," Malfoy said.

"For every Ministry job out there," Albus said, snorting.

"I like to keep my options open," Malfoy said.

"You're like Rose," Albus said, rolling his eyes.

"I'm sad to say I agree with that," Malfoy said.

"If you want a girl, you know, I have a feeling she would be okay with it," Albus recommended.

"She's not my type," Malfoy said.

"You like them less intelligent than you, then?" Albus said, laughing a little.

"Sure," Malfoy said.

Albus turned back to the book in front of him, ignoring the Malfoy boy, who was skimming through the shelves.

He wasn't horrible to talk to, Malfoy. They'd been partnered on something before, in like second year. It was probably just the old Quidditch rivalry, bred in their very blood, which kept them at odds. He supposed he might be able to be friends with the bloke, maybe, if it weren't for Quidditch. It was odd to think that way. Their parents had never been best mates, certainly. But Albus had never exactly cared that much about that sort of thing.

-CD-

Potters could be decent people. Scorpius was in awe. As Albus Potter continued casual conversation with him, he was mildly shocked. Not a word was breathed about Quidditch competition and it was mostly casual conversation about food in the library. It led Scorpius to think that, had they not been rivaling captains and seekers, that they might have actually been able to get along.

He balanced the seven books he had as he reached for one more. The entire stack toppled out of his arms. He lunged for them, knowing the librarian would have his head for dropping the old books he had. But the books were slowing, landing very gently on the ground in slow motion.

Scorpius looked up. Potter had slowed the fall of the books with a wave of his wand.

"I've dropped books before," Potter said. "It's not a pretty sight, and she can hear it from the other side of the library."

"I know," he said, shaking his head.

"How are you going to get those back to your dorm?" Potter asked, laughing.

Scorpius looked down at his bulging bag.

"I suppose it's time to break out the undetectable extension charm…" he said thoughtfully. "Ah well I'll get them back to the dorm before Herbology, I suppose." He started restacking them carefully.

"Look, Malfoy, I know we're not exactly _friends _but I'll give you a hand," Potter said, seeming to surprise even himself. "I'm trying to avoid someone, and the last place she'll expect me to be is in the dungeons."

"Oh…" Scorpius said. "Alright, I guess."

After they both checked out what they wanted—for Potter one book on Quidditch, and for Scorpius seven books on varying subjects—Potter took a bunch of the books and followed Scorpius in the direction of the Slytherin common room.

"Who are you trying to avoid?" Scorpius asked pleasantly, making polite conversation. The situation probably couldn't have gotten any more awkward. Potter looked thoroughly uncomfortable, and as if he was regretting his decision to be a nice person. Perhaps Potters and Malfoys just _shouldn't _be friends.

"Natalia Regis," Potter replied, making a face as they took a short cut secret passageway. "She's a very… well I don't know how exactly to describe her. Clingy… but not really. I don't know. She's a bit too… easy. If you know what I mean?"

Scorpius honestly couldn't say that he did, but he nodded along anyway. "Sure."

"Bit of a leg spreader," Potter said, chuckling a little.

Scorpius cleared his throat. "Yeah."

"I've never been in the Slytherin common room before," Potter commented. "I know where it is, but I've never been inside."

"Oh," Scorpius said.

"You're not exactly talkative," Potter said, raising an eyebrow.

"How's your Quidditch team?" Scorpius attempted.

Potter laughed. "How do you think? We're the best one in the school."

Scorpius snorted. "You may have been for a few years now… But there are no guarantees."

"I think the way the game schedule came out we'll be playing in the final together," Potter commented. "Should be interesting to see."

"It will probably be anyone's game," Scorpius said.

"The only way your team will win is if they knock me out, or if your chasers are unstoppable," Potter said.

"Meaning you don't see anyone catching the snitch but you…" Scorpius determined.

"Well, let's face it. I've been seeker since my first year, and you've been seeker since your second. In all the matches we've played together, Malfoy, have you ever caught the snitch?"

Scorpius glared at him. "You're actually not as nice as I thought you were."

"No," Potter said. "I'm not. I'm overly confident, pushy, self-centered, egotistical, and all the synonyms for those. I'm not nice. But I know I'm good at Quidditch."

Scorpius looked at him for a moment. How did a person who could easily call himself too confident, pushy and self-centered really call themselves egotistical?

"Venomous Tentacula," Scorpius said outside the brick wall, knowing full well he was letting Albus Potter have free access to the Slytherin common room whenever he wanted it until the password changed.

Potter was quiet as he followed Scorpius to the dormitory to put his books away.

"We should probably get to Herbology," Scorpius suggested.

"Probably," Potter agreed. They turned in silence and headed out of the room, through the hall, and back out through the common room. When they reached the entrance hall, people were flooding out from lunch.

"Oh shit, hide," Potter said, jumping to the side and dragging Scorpius with him.

They snuck into a side room off the hall.

"Why are we doing this?" Scorpius demanded.

"Natalia," was Potter's only answer to that.

"Oh," Scorpius said, wondering why he had been dragged along in this.

"If I'm going to be late to Herbology, the Head Boy is going to be late with me," Potter grumbled.

Scorpius rolled his eyes. When they moved into the hall again, it was vacant.

"Looks like we're going to have to run now," Potter commented. "Fancy a little race? Let's see how that Slytherin Quidditch training really works. Good thing you lightened that bag."

"What are we, first years? Racing to Herbology?" Scorpius questioned. But Potter was already running. Unwilling to accept any sort of defeat and certainly not surrendering, Scorpius took off after him.

He caught up with Potter quickly, but the dark haired boy's legs were longer, and honestly, he was just a tad more aerodynamic. So Scorpius resorted to the common practice of Slytherin students, perfected over the years. Playing dirty.

He pulled out his wand and hexed Potter's legs together. He ran past him then, watching as Potter climbed back to his feet and fumbled for his own wand. He waved it not at his own legs, but at Scorpius'. Scorpius wobbled with the jelly-legs curse and waved his wand to undo it.

They reached the greenhouse laughing, ultimately tying. Albus pushed open the door, and they walked inside, laughing loudly.

Prior to their arrival, it would seem, the Herbology class had been quite silent. Professor Longbottom looked up at both of them as they entered, his eyebrows raising.

"Thank you for joining us, Mr. Potter, Mr. Malfoy. You two can work at the table in the back," Professor Longbottom informed them.

Scorpius couldn't help but laugh as he and Potter walked to the back of the greenhouse to start their work.

_Next Chapter: A bit of Quidditch. _


	7. The Arrogant Captain

**Chapter 7.**

**The Arrogant Captain**

"Since when do you and Malfoy get along?" Rose wondered as they walked down to the Quidditch pitch together for practice.

"Since today, apparently," Albus replied. "He's not a bad bloke, I suppose."

"Meaning you could sort of be friends if you weren't rivals?" she said.

"Basically," he said, shrugging. "He was in the library when I was hiding from Natalia."

"Which means he's got all the good books," she grumbled, crossing her arms.

"Sure," he said. "We'll go with that."

"You can't hide from her forever, you know," she said. "And you have no one to blame but yourself."

"Thanks for the support, Rosie," Albus said, using his key to unlock the Gryffindor locker room.

"I'm not saying I won't be supportive," she said. "I'm saying I won't have you try to grumble the blame off on someone else."

Albus shrugged. "I wasn't going to. I just didn't realize she would be so hard to get rid of."

"You should have thought of that before you shagged her," she suggested.

"I didn't shag her!" Albus shouted, appalled. He was very thankful the rest of the team hadn't come down yet. Especially his sister.

"If you say so," Rose said. "I suppose I'll _have _to believe you. I know you did _something."_

Well even Albus admitted that a nice hand job followed by a blow job couldn't actually go wrong, and Natalia had figured that out quickly. That was the sort of thing where it didn't matter if he was attracted to her or not.

"Well yeah," Albus said. "But I'm not… in the right mindset for her. And I think that mindset is something that would either be there permanently or not be there at all."

"What is it then?" Rose said. "Chest not big enough for you?"

"No, it's actually too big," Albus said.

"You, Albus Potter, are not like other guys," Rose said, chuckling. "Why don't you just tell Natalia that you don't want to… do whatever it is you're doing… anymore."

"Right…" he said. "I'll let you know when I figure out how to do that."

Albus went into the captain's office and started to pull on his robes. He pulled the tiny playbook he had out of the pocket of his pants, and enlarged it back to full size. It never left his person. He slept with it under his pillow. No Slytherin was getting his hands on it.

There were two playbooks. It was a well-kept secret. The first contained years and years of Gryffindor plays and moves, dating back to the current Puddlemere United coach, Oliver Wood's days at Hogwarts. The days of Albus' father playing seeker, captaining the team. That book lived under lock and key and extensive Gryffindor-access-only enchantments in the captain's office. It was a compilation of the best plays of every year, the best statistics, and team rosters. The second playbook was Albus' playbook, and his playbook only. It was the small one, that never left his person. It was his most prized possession. The plays were secret and many of them never before seen.

The rest of the team was changing when Albus walked back out to the main part of the locker room.

"Hello," he said cheerfully. "I hope you're all very ready to practice, because I am very ready to practice."

Lily rolled her eyes at him.

"Let's get out there and take some laps to warm up," he said. "Fred, could you and Rose get the ball crate?"

"Sure," Fred said. The whole team got up and headed out to the pitch. Happily, Albus swung his leg over his Nimbus Diamond Sixty—referred to by most as a Diamond Sixty, with the Nimbus implied. It was a good broom, a gift from his parents when he had been made prefect and captain in one year. Before, he'd ridden a modern Cleansweep, but it honestly hadn't been anywhere near as reliable.

Albus kicked off of the ground and rose into the air. Usually, he used the warm up laps to scan the stands for invading, spying Slytherins. While he did that today, honestly, it just felt good to really be flying again, freely. Despite living in an area highly populated by wizards, the Potter family still didn't exactly have the luxury of flying everywhere they wanted to go. At Hogwarts, he could fly high, and shoot up to the sky, and whatever speed he wanted without his mum scolding him and getting worried that he would lose control.

He shot toward the ground at what Rose had once deemed to be an eighty-six degree angle. At the last second, he pulled up, laughing loudly. Danger. He liked danger.

"You're being a prat," Lily told him already. "As much as you're really annoying and sometimes I imagine what it would be like to be an only child… every time you do that move I have a heart attack."

"It would be very easy to lose control," Rose contributed.

"It would be if you tried it," Albus said.

"And by that he means he is a far more skilled flier," Lily said, rolling her eyes. "If I take a spike to his head, do you think it would deflate it a little?"

"Alright, everyone, come over here," Albus said after blowing on his whistle. He was choosing to ignore his sister. The team circled up around him, hovering in the air.

"I have a lot of good ideas for this year," Albus said. "This is not going to be easy. Training is going to be intense, regular, and only cancelled on account of lightning. We will practice in all conditions, because we could be playing in all conditions. Our first game is in a month and a half. The air will be cold by then. There could even be a bit of snow. So we just have to be ready. You never know.

"Let's start with some basic formation flying, passing the quaffle," he continued. "Shoot on Rose, Ella, Lily and Kirk. Fred and Owen, hit the bludgers back and forth. I'm just going to watch for now, not release the snitch yet."

-CD-

'Hmm…" Scarlet said. "I wonder what you're looking at."

Scorpius looked up at her, turning his gaze away from the window of the vacant classroom where he was working on Arithmancy.

"I'm trying to catch on to some of their plays," Scorpius said.

"Or you're just watching your new mate," Scarlet said, laughing a little.

"Albus Potter is not my new mate," Scorpius said.

"Yes, but he's nice to look at, and boys's bums look good on broomsticks," she sat pushing him to the side a little so she could have a place at the window too.

"Scarlet," Scorpius said. "I cannot actually see that far."

"Well I have some omnioculars in my trunk, would you like me to run and fetch them?" she asked sweetly, still watching through the glass.

"Stop, please," he said, resting his forehead on the glass.

"I'm just saying," she said. "You admitted that he's attractive. And then you come into Herbology giggling like first years. I hardly think you aren't friends."

"We're not," Scorpius said, watching as the Gryffindors swooped around the pitch. He recognized Albus from afar. He was the one with the darkest hair, and the most finesse. Some of the others looked quite a bit less… at home… on the broomstick. Even the skilled ones, like Lily and Rose, didn't look as at ease as Potter. And that was how Scorpius knew which one was him.

"Then what was that?" Scarlet questioned, hopping up to sit on the window sill and look at him sternly.

"I don't know," Scorpius said. "Male bonding?"

She raised one thin, speculative eyebrow. "Male bonding? With Potter? With _you? _Honestly!"

"What?" Scorpius said.

"Malfoys and Potters don't bond," she said. "They're not usually friends either."

"According to whom?" Scorpius wondered.

"Whom?" she said. "Merlin. Anyway, according to you!"

"Right…" Scorpius said. "Well maybe I was wrong."

"Maybe," she said. "Do you like him? As a person, I mean. Is he decent?"

"Normal,' Scorpius said. "Not quite nice, not quite… not nice."

"Okay…" she said. "That's helpful."

"Awkward actually," Scorpius said.

"Like every conversation we have about guys, no matter how harmless it actually is?" Scarlet questioned.

"Basically," Scorpius said.

"Because this is harmless," she said. "I haven't accused you of being infatuated with him. Yet."

"He's just a Potter. The captain of the rival Quidditch team. Hardly the formula for friendship," Scorpius said.

"I know," Scarlet said, patting his shoulder. "Too bad he's good looking."

"Too bad," he said. "Kind of makes life a little harder."

"Well you managed to hang out with him without feeling anything awkward, right?" she said. "Right?"

"It wasn't exactly hanging out with him," Scorpius objected.

"But there was nothing awkward right?" she wondered.

"No, I suppose not," Scorpius said.

"Except for the fact that you've basically acknowledged that he has a nice bum," she said.

"Right…" he said.

"Right," she said. "Well who's to say you can't be friends then?"

"Nature," he said. "Laws of nature. Also the fact that I might not feel awkward now, but that doesn't mean that can't change pretty quickly."

"Well I'm sorry, but you shouldn't count your dragons before they hatch. There's no guarantee of anything at this point," she said. "You might just like him as a friend and just that. Because you think he's attractive is different. I have guy friends that I think are attractive. You for instance. You are very bloody good looking. But obviously, that makes no difference. And even before I knew you would never be interested in me, I didn't think I could ever like you as more than a friend."

"Okay," he said. "So I just have to give it a shot. If I feel like it. If the opportunity arises."

"I'm just saying," she said. "The rest of the world doesn't make these choices. They're left up to you and Albus Potter."

"Okay," he said, nodding. "If the opportunity arises."

-CD-

The next evening, Scorpius walked back up to the school as evening fell. The Slytherin team had just finished practice, and he was certainly impressed. He had high hopes for the team. Their first match was the week after the Gryffindor match against Hufflepuff. He was reasonably hopeful.

He was alone, walking, having sent Scarlet ahead. He didn't want her to wait while he went through his plays in the book before locking it away again. Behind him, the sky was indigo, stars and moon twinkling brightly over the Black Lake. It was a nice night, but he was pushing the limits already and needed to get back to the common room before night fell completely.

He knew it was late. He was out of bounds already, but he wasn't going to get yelled at. He was the head boy. It was rounds. He was finding students out of bed. Obviously.

He started down into the dungeons. Someone was whistling down the corridor, and he figured he would have to shoo some first year off to bed. Unless it was Peeves. And as he approached, it seemed more likely that it was Peeves, because there was no one in the corridor. In any place but Hogwarts, mysterious whistling would probably be bothersome. But in a place where ghosts ran rampant and poltergeists sang songs on a daily basis, a disembodied whistle was hardly unnerving.

The whistle stopped as Scorpius continued down the flight of stairs. He pulled open a door that led to the nearest hallway.

"Ouch!" the cry came out behind him. Scorpius turned around quickly, worried that Peeves was going to drop something on him. But then again… most Poltergeists didn't say ouch.

He caught sight of a trainer on the other side of the door.

"What…?" Scorpius said, reaching out with his hand.

"Mischief managed," he heard a voice grumble as his hand collided with silken texture, surrounding something hard, but fleshy. He pulled, and Albus Potter came into view, as a silvery cloak manifested in Scorpius' hand.

Potter snatched the cloak back, shoving a piece of folded parchment into the pocket of his muggle jeans.


	8. Mild Attraction

**Chapter 8**

**Mild Attraction (As Defined by Scorpius Malfoy)**

Albus looked down at the floor. This was embarrassing.

"What are you doing?" Malfoy demanded.

"Being a Potter," Albus replied, clearing his throat a little.

"By snooping around in an invisibility cloak in the dungeons?" Malfoy said. His blonde eyebrows had not left their raised position on his forehead.

"You hit me with a door," Albus said, changing the subject.

"I greatly apologize," Malfoy said, rolling his eyes. "You're out of bounds, Potter."

"I'm a prefect," Albus said.

"A prefect sneaking around in an invisibility cloak," Malfoy said. "You're lucky I don't give you a detention. What are you doing here?"

"I couldn't sleep," Albus said, puffing himself up. No Malfoy was going to give him a detention. "Cut a man some slack. I wasn't doing anything."

Malfoy sighed loudly. "I know what you mean. I can't usually sleep."

"And you're out of bounds too," Albus accused.

"I'm Head Boy," Malfoy said.

"It's about ten minutes past curfew," Albus said. "I'll head back to my tower now."

"Look, just don't get caught," Malfoy said. "Not around here. It'll be my head for it."

"I don't get caught until people hit me with doors," Albus said. With his cloak and the Marauder's Map, which he had shared with James until the older brother left Hogwarts, it was very unlikely that he would get caught.

"Were you whistling?" Malfoy wondered. "That's a pretty good giveaway."

"Oh…" Albus said. He hadn't realized he'd been doing that. "Habit I guess. I stopped when I knew you were coming though."

"How did you know?" Malfoy wondered.

"I heard you," Albus lied.

"Oh," Malfoy said, nodding.

"Yes," Albus said. Not as if he'd seen him on the map…

"Well, I'm going to bed," Malfoy said.

"Good night," Albus said, moving to head back upstairs. He threw his cloak over his shoulders as Malfoy disappeared down the dimly lit corridor.

He was an odd duck, Malfoy. That was Albus' official decision. He was a good guy, and Albus knew that. But he was strange, tried to abide by the rules, but didn't care. He never really looked Albus in the eye when he spoke to him.

-CD-

Those damn green eyes. Scorpius cursed himself as he arrived in the common room. It was still full of people, older students doing homework, including Scarlet, who had somehow found his bag and had stolen his Defense notes.

"You look like someone hit you over the head with a big stick," she informed him as he flopped into a seat next to her.

"I do?" he said.

"Yes," she said. "Why would that be?"

" I don't quite know," he said.

"Oh," she said.

"Yeah," he said.

"Why?" she asked.

"Stop asking," he said.

"Fine," she said. "You'll tell me later."

"Sure," he said, not sure if he was lying or not.

-CD-

Albus sank lower in his seat in Transfiguration. How he actually made it to NEWT level with this class was beyond him. He practically slammed his forehead on the desk in agony.

"It's not working,' he complained.

"You're just not doing it right," Rose informed him, and not in a gentle way.

"Then show me what I'm doing wrong!" he barked, glaring at her.

"I've tried!" she said, glaring back.

"Do you need help?" Scorpius Malfoy offered kindly from the desk in front of him.

"No," Albus said.

"Just show me what you're doing," Malfoy suggested.

"You won't be able to fix him, Malfoy," Rose said. 'He's broken."

Albus demonstrated his skill—or more appropriately, lack thereof. Malfoy watched, and then clearly chewed the inside of his cheek. Albus vaguely wondered if he was trying not laugh.

"You just need to move your wand in a slightly different fashion," Malfoy suggested. "Watch."

He demonstrated the movement, doing a more angular movement than Albus had been doing. Albus mimicked him, the silent spell in his head. Finally, he managed to grow Rose's nose into a duck beak, which had been the object all along.

"See?" Malfoy said, turning around and looking forward again. Rose waved her wand and turned her nose back, fuming because Malfoy had managed to teach Albus where she had not.

"Thanks," Albus said. He reassured himself that Malfoy's talent would not help him beat Albus on the Quidditch pitch. It made the wound to his ego a little less severe. Besides. Well… he didn't know what besides there was to it, but whatever.

"Well I did it once. I'm done," Albus said. He pulled out his Quidditch magazine and started skimming.

"Albus, you should make sure you can do it more than once," Rose said.

But he was already tuning her out. That was their relationship. They were there for each other—to help each other, and listen to each other and provide advice, but also to mock, ignore, slight, and verbally abuse each other. He rolled his eyes to himself.

Rose didn't know everything about him. She knew he had his moments, moments of absolute self-loathing, and she didn't know why. He didn't know why either. But he came upon days where he would much rather stay in his bed all day and sleep the hours away than get up and show his face.

There was sometimes too much. Of what, he didn't know, but there was a lot of it. Maybe it was just being Harry Potter's son. The lime light, no matter the days that went by since the second war, well, it was always there. And there was nothing he could do about it. For some reason though, James and Lily seemed to fair just fine. It was only Albus that struggled.

He didn't like attention, but he got it because he was good at doing what he loved. And there was no way he could stop playing Quidditch.

He flipped to an article in the magazine written about a player for the English National Team, and beater and captain of Puddlemere United. Andrew Kingston. Albus skimmed the article, and then moved to look at the pictures. Kingston dipped in and out of range with the Quaffle in hand. A strange part of Albus readily admitted that he was a good looking bloke. Nice face, strong, clearly, to be a beater like that, didn't look bad on a broom…

He practically slapped himself. Jumping in shock, he caused Rose to look over at him.

"Do you have a pixie in your pants?" she asked.

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Excuse me?"

"You're acting like something bit you on the bum," she said. She was glaring at him. As usual. He was probably disturbing her perfect practice again.

"It's nothing," he said, turning back to his magazine. In front of him, though he didn't notice, Scorpius Malfoy had turned scarlet.

-CD-

"You're blushing, Monsieur Malfoy," Scarlet accused coyly as they walked out of Transfiguration.

"Huh?" he said.

"Bright. Pink," she said.

"Shove off," he told her as they turned with the rest of the Slytherin crowd to go down to the common room before dinner.

"Well, I don't know why that would be," she whispered. "Just listening to that charming conversation behind us…"

He glared at her.

"Could it be at all that they were speaking about the bum of one brilliant athlete?" she asked, smirking.

"Shut up!" he ordered.

"You're such a girl," she said.

"Thanks," he grumbled.

"I'm just saying," she said, throwing a hand up casually. "You need to relax. Calm down. Let go of some of that stress."

"I'll calm down and be stress free when I'm dead," he said.

"You've said that before," she said. "But that's what worries me. I think you need a long, peaceful vacation."

"Like I said," he said. "When I'm dead. I'm not going to get it for a little while."

She sighed. "Fine. Be that way. Just add your little crush to the mix and you might explode."

"It's not a crush, Scarlet," he said. If she didn't stop with all of her talk about Potter, he was going to destroy her. She was nothing in a duel, compared to him. And he was starting to get annoyed. A good _Levicorpus_, leave her upside down in the hallway while other students laughed and some tried to get her down. Someone else out there would figure it out and bring her back down.

"Then what do you call it?" she wondered.

"Mild attraction," he said.

"Mild attraction," she repeated. "Alrighty then."

"I'm just saying," he said. "Just because I think someone is attractive doesn't mean I have a crush on them…"

"Okay, okay. If you insist," she said.

"I do," he said.

"I'm just saying," she said. "Who is the most attractive guy in this school, do you think?"

Scorpius shot her a look as they filed through the brick wall into the common room. He ignored her and moved into his dormitory to drop off his bag and take a break before dinner. She was waiting expectantly in the common room.

"Well?" she prompted.

"Potter," he grumbled.

"I think I might agree," she said. "Though Lorcan and Lysander certainly have something on him… And you do as well, but I didn't expect you to say yourself."

"Well I'm glad that you didn't expect that," he said, rolling his eyes.

"I'm just saying," she said. "You're so weird, just so you know. The people you like."

"As if I didn't already know that," he said. "You say that as if I'm oblivious."

"But I'm just saying," she said, dropping her voice. The common room was loud. No one would overhear her at this point. "I can't get over… so masculine all the way around."

He glared at her. Or perhaps it was more of a "I can't believe you" look. Because he honestly felt that way.

When they headed down to dinner, Scorpius sat next to Scarlet, and across from Nick and Kirk.

"I just want to play a goddamn Quidditch match," Kirk said, stabbing his roasted chicken aggressively.

"Don't worry," Scorpius said. "Poor Ravenclaw won't know what hit them in a couple of weeks."

"I just miss actually games," Kirk said. "It would be great to get the cup this year."

"I'd love to see Potter's face after the final…" Scarlet said. "if we won." She closed her eyes and smiled, imagining the moment.

"That means we just have to keep working," Scorpius contributed, imagining the moment as well.

"Our team's pretty good this year," Scarlet said.

"I agree," Nick said.

"But so is Potter's," Scorpius said. "I'm just saying. Don't get big heads yet. Especially if we beat Ravenclaw. At that point, we'll still have two teams to get through to finally get to the cup."

"Merlin knows the Hufflepuff team isn't that great," Kirk contributed.

"They weren't last year," Scorpius corrected. "Wadsworth won't take last year's sad defeat lying down. He's going to work pretty damn hard, and his team is all new."

"Good point," Scarlet said.

"I know that for a fact too," Nick said. "Roger Finch-Fletchley was on that team last year, and he didn't get allowed back on. Wadsworth was so ashamed of the team that he didn't want to let on a single person from such a horrible defeat. Apart from himself, obviously."

"Should be fun then," Kirk said, sighing.

"We just have to work hard," Scorpius said. "I told you guys that on the first day."

"Meaning, work hard, or you're off the team," Scarlet translated.

"But I don't want to do that," Scorpius said.

"Though secretly he sort of does," Scarlet said. "See, I know Scorp, and I know deep down, he would enjoy that use of power."

"Or not," Scorpius said, shaking his head.


	9. Welcome to a Screwed Up World

**Chapter 9.**

**Welcome to a Strange and Screwed Up World. **

Albus was hiding. Again. In the library. Again. Natalia wasn't good at body language or general human communication. Apparently. She just wasn't getting the message that he wasn't interested.

Albus didn't know what girl interested him though. And that was sort of the problem. Because he was worrying himself. About a lot of things.

He sighed. It was about six o'clock, right after dinner. He had settled at a table to do some work. But unlike many people in this world, he failed at mental processes in the atmosphere of the library. He liked noise and chaos when he worked, and that was more readily available in the Gryffindor common room.

"Excuse me," Scorpius Malfoy said. He needed to use one of the shelves that was built up from the desk where Albus was working, tucked in the back of the library by one of the tall windows.

"Sorry," Albus said.

"No, don't mind me," Malfoy said. "You're obviously studying."

"Charms essay," Albus grumbled. "Best class, most tedious essays."

"You enjoy Charms?" Malfoy said. "I was rather under the impression that you sort of… read magazines the whole time."

"It's because it's easy," Albus defended himself.

"Oh," Malfoy said. "Sorry."

He pulled a second book from the shelf, and compared the two, shoving one back and temporarily blocking out Albus' light.

"You all right, Potter?" Malfoy asked suddenly.

"Huh?" Albus said.

"You've been spending an awful lot of time in the library lately," Malfoy commented. "A bit uncharacteristic."

"Hiding again," Albus said. "From Satan's daughter."

"Who, Rose?" Malfoy said.

"No. Rose is Satan's mother. The only person Satan ever feared," Albus said.

"Makes sense," Malfoy said, laughing. "I'm assuming you mean Natalia, then."

"Yes," Albus said. "Still spreading her legs for me."

He noticed Malfoy blushed at that.

"Oh," Malfoy said. 'I would say I'm sorry for you, but I didn't know you were the sort of bloke that would actually mind that."

"I'm just not attracted to her, is all," Albus said.

Scorpius nodded. "I know that feeling."

Malfoy dropped into the seat next to Albus, flipping open his book for a moment. He looked up at Albus.

"Bit odd," he said. 'A Malfoy and a Potter having pleasant conversation."

"I've spent my whole life attempting to live up to my father," Albus said. "But I've failed miserably, so why not fail here too?"

"Failed miserably?' Malfoy echoed. He seemed skeptical.

"A lot of people expect me to be someone I'm not. _Something _I'm not," he said. "Something I can never be."

"A lot of people expect things of me too," Malfoy said. "I would disappoint them left and right if I wasn't good at hiding things."

"You must be better than I am," Albus said.

"Just about some things, maybe," Malfoy said. "But honestly… I have bad reputations to eliminate too. Which means I have to be perfect. And well… not tarnish the glorious Malfoy name."

"Try being Harry Potter's son," Albus said. "Believe me, I won't be defeating any dark wizards any time soon. I'd much rather just fly all day, if it's all the same to anyone else."

"Didn't realize you call what you do on that broomstick _flying," _Malfoy said.

"Did you honestly just bring out that joke?" Albus said. "Merlin. I overestimated my opponent."

Malfoy laughed. "No, no. You fly very well, Potter. And as much as it injures my pride to say that, it's true."

"Thanks, Malfoy," Albus said, grinning a little.

"Do you mind if I work here?" Malfoy asked.

"Nope," Albus said, pulling his essay back toward him.

Malfoy was a very diligent worker. Albus could hear it. While his attention span waned, and his mind wandered, Malfoy was relentless. He had half of an essay done in the time it took Albus to do a paragraph. At least it was a well-written paragraph. He knew Charms work very well. But the sound of Malfoy's quill scratching across parchment was helping Albus to focus a little. It was better than the suffocating silence of the library when he was working alone.

They ended up finishing their essays at the same time, which was a little depressing to Albus, as he'd been a third of the way into his when Malfoy started.

"I have nothing else to do," Albus said, feeling quite proud of himself. The Ravenclaw team had practice tonight, and because there was no Quidditch or flying, Albus had nothing else to do but homework. And so he was done with it quite early.

"I'm done too," Malfoy said.

"Okay," Albus said. This was awkward. Silence sort of crept up on them.

"So…" Malfoy said. "Do you want to play Quidditch, in the future, I mean?"

"You mean for a career?" Albus asked. When Scorpius nodded, Albus continued, "I would love to. But the chances of that are slim."

"Look, you're a good seeker," Malfoy said. Albus could see it took a toll on him to say so.

"Thanks," Albus said.

"I think good enough to play pro," Malfoy said. "Scouts will come, you know."

"I know that," Albus said.

"You have a shot," Malfoy said.

Why was Malfoy saying this to him? They were bitter Quidditch rivals. Not only did their teams compete, but their very positions battled it out on the pitch every single game they played against each other. Albus just shrugged at him.

-CD-

Scorpius wondered if it was even possible for Scarlet to be right. Could a Potter and a Malfoy honestly be friends? By the way this conversation was going—very awkwardly—he didn't think it was actually possible.

"Do you think…" Potter began. "That a Malfoy and a Potter could actually get along. In some strange, screwed up world?"

"Maybe," Scropius said, laughing a little. "Some strange, weird little possibility, maybe."

"My father would be shocked," Potter said, laughing a little too, his voice as wary as Scorpius'.

"My father would be appalled," Scorpius said.

"It would be worth the laugh," Potter said.

"Just to irk them both," Scorpius agreed. Their fathers may not have been arch enemies any longer, but they certainly weren't the best of friends. Harry Potter had helped Draco Malfoy out of a number of tight spots after the war, and as much as Draco was grateful, he was equally distressed that he owed something to Potter at this point. It was a distressing way to be, Scorpius determined.

"So we can get along," Potter decided.

"Perhaps, Potter," Scorpius said.

"You can call me Albus," Potter said.

"Albus," Scorpius repeated. "All right then. Albus."

"It's basically the worst name ever," Potter contributed.

"It's not actually any worse than Scorpius," Scorpius said, laughing a little.

"Scorpius what then?" Albus wondered. "Because I've got Severus for a middle name, and that really doesn't make this any more pleasant."

"Hyperion," Scorpius said.

"What? _Hyperion?" _Albus repeated. "Oh Merlin. I would kill my parents for that."

"I know," Scorpius said, shaking his head. "It's child abuse."

"Albus Severus is horrible enough," Albus said. "I get the meaning behind it and all that… but still."

"But still, they should have just named me John and moved on," Scorpius said, grinning.

"John Malfoy," Albus said.

"Or maybe not," Scorpius said.

A Ravenclaw sixth year slipped in between them to grab a book off the shelf. Scorpius watched Albus watch her as she walked away.

"She's pretty," Scorpius commented. It was true. He was just trying to make straight bloke conversation. Clearly he wasn't good at it. Perhaps he should've said something like "she has nice breasts." But he didn't actually find breasts nice or attractive.

Albus shrugged and let out a little grunt.

"Give her a shot then," he said.

"No thanks," Scorpius said.

"Well she's not my type," Albus said.

"Nor is she mine," Scorpius said, clearing his throat.

"Oh," Albus said.

They were quiet for a moment. This was still rough, a little awkward. Being friends was a stretch for both of them. Scorpius knew it. They were just so used to being Quidditch rivals, and obviously, people didn't just become friends by deciding they would be friends. The first step was establishing they could get along… And they had a ways to go. Clearly.

"Well," Albus said. "I suppose I should go back to my common room."

"Right," Scorpius said, not sure exactly how to reply.

"Then again, Natalia is there," Albus said, sighing. "Look, do you play wizard's chess?"

Scorpius grinned. "Very well, actually."

"Do you have a set?" Albus asked.

"In my dorm room," Scorpius said.

"Alright," Albus said. "I'll go sneak into my common room and get mine. It's better than suffering the pains that Natalia puts me through."

"Alright," Scorpius said. "Where are we going to play it?"

"Great Hall?" Albus offered. After dinner, people from different houses hung out in the Great Hall with each other, instead of going back to their common rooms. They had made too much noise in the study hall and in the library, so they were allotted the Great Hall until eight, an hour before you had to be in your own common room. Scorpius had never really used it—he didn't have many friends he couldn't hang out with in his own common room. But he supposed he saw the appeal to some people. Besides, playing chess with Potter was more exciting than listening to Scarlet gripe about homework and interrogate him about his love life—or lack thereof. And as much as the new… general tolerance… between him and Potter was a tad bit awkward, and yeah, Potter was using it to get away from Natalia Regis… well, it was still nice to have someone new to talk to.

Scorpius headed to his dormitory to get his wizard's chess set. He ignored Scarlet, who was begging him to sit down and help her with the Charms essay. He just head right back out of the common room and into the hallway to climb the stairs up to the Great Hall.

Potter was waiting in the Great Hall with a chess board, setting up a pristine and well-cared for set of dark red chess pieces. Scorpius sat across from him and began to set up his shining black set. The Great Hall was mildly crowded, as Professors attempted to break apart kissing couples and keep noise levels on the lower end. Scorpius got the impression that whoever was in this hall drew the short stick, obviously.

"Are you good at this?" Scorpius asked Albus.

Albus grinned. "It depends on what you mean by good. I'm very good, in my personal opinion. But my brother always beats me. However, he is the one in my family that you would sort of… assume… would be good at wizard's chess."

"Yes, the impression I get is that you Potters are all very similar, and also quite different," Scorpius said. "I believe you make the first move."

Albus began the game, crossing his arms and leaning on the table in front of him. He commanded his pawn with authority, and Scorpius was shocked to see he didn't seem to be thinking at all. With his turns, Scorpius took his time, thinking through all of his options. He would assumed that gave him a leg up. But within a few turns, Albus Potter was certainly winning. And he definitely was thinking, but just faster.

"Check," Potter said, not twenty minutes into the game.

Scorpius covered his arse and kept playing the game, not letting that deter him.

"Check," Albus said again.

Glaring, Scorpius kept playing, watching as several of his pieces were destroyed by Albus', smashed into bits and carried off the board.

"Check mate," Albus said finally.

Scorpius stared. He didn't know how it had happened. Of all the people Scorpius knew, he himself was the best at chess. And here was Albus Potter, beating him in forty-five minutes. He was more multifaceted than Scorpius had imagined.


	10. The Blushing Type

**Chapter 10**

**The Blushing Type**

Albus woke with a start. The dormitory was silent, dark. It was still the middle of the night. He sat up carefully wiping at his face with the sheet. He was drenched in sweat. He peeled the bedding away from him and stepped onto the cool stone floor.

He sighed to himself a little. All he could think of was, "not again."

He poured himself a glass of water and sat back down on his bed, sitting cross-legged and pulling the hangings shut.

There were many things in life that Albus was unsure of. This was one of them. And this he hated to question.

Honestly, he didn't like feeling attracted to guys. On occasion. Regular occasion. But they infiltrated his dreams, and he didn't know what to do about it. This was the sort of thing that just wasn't okay with him.

And so on his bed there, he began to question things again.

The dream had been about Scorpius Malfoy, and honestly, that was probably the worst thing about it. He'd been shirtless, and grinning at Albus, the ice-eyed grin. And there had been more to it. Much more.

He nearly vomited at the concept, except for he didn't want to.

This had been hard for him for a while now. He thought about it in the past, starting in fifth year, when the first weird dreaming started. That, and well, he'd always sort of been attracted to guys. He didn't know what it was about it, because he wanted to be attracted to girls. Girls were pretty. Girls were cute. Girls were… _girls. _

He wasn't okay with this!

He didn't want to wake up and feel like he'd just had a really good dream and then realize that it was about a bloke. It made him nauseous.

And yeah, so he was going to do everything in his power to change this. He wasn't going to be attracted to people like Scorpius Malfoy, or like the Scamander boys, or…

He groaned.

This was why he spent so much time with girls like Natalia., He was going to, if it killed him, convince himself that he liked girls, that he was attracted to them. Because this wasn't okay with him, it wouldn't be okay with his family… It would mean a life of hell.

He groaned again, flopping onto his back.

But the only thing he could think of was this dream. As much as it was Malfoy, it didn't actually mean anything. He didn't _like _Malfoy. But at the same time, he was an attractive bloke. And apparently that meant attractive to Albus. The dream had been… quite stimulating. Albus was lucky he woke up when he did, or he would've had a bit of a mess on his hands. And then it was even better he was so repulsed by himself, because that got him a little… less aroused.

Except. Now he was thinking about the dream, and well, the whole arousal thing was impossible to ignore.

He thought of horrible things. Dead kittens. Drowning children. Dead Lily. Lily with a guy… Why wasn't _that _working?

He wanted nothing than to make himself feel better, to go ahead and just wank off. But he couldn't allow himself to do that. Not over the image of another bloke—someone he wanted to be his friend no less!

But that meant he had a bit of a problem. Because whatever image he threw around in his head, it wasn't working. He got up and walked across the floor, into the bathroom. He pulled the taps and turned on the cold water, knowing he was going to freeze, but it at least was better than nothing.

He pulled his pajama pants off very carefully, avoiding his predicament. He pulled his t-shirt over his head and stripped off his boxers carefully too, climbing into the cold water. He shivered instantly.

He looked down. Well this wasn't going well.

He wondered, if he hit his head on the wall hard enough, would he actually bash his brain in, or just give him a bad headache and a gash to explain to Madame Tolomei, the nurse?

Why was he feeling _so_ attracted?

He groaned.

-CD-

Albus was in the shower for quite a while, but he climbed on out and back into the dorm room a few minutes before the rest of his roommates started to wake up on a regular weekday. He had an objective. As much as their budding friendship was kind of nice, Albus figured his best bet was to just avoid Scorpius Malfoy altogether.

So now he was avoiding Natalia and Malfoy. And that meant there were very few places to hide, as they didn't happen to frequent the same places. So yeah. This was going to be a lot harder than he was really hoping it would be. And he knew that.

He pulled his clothes on, heading downstairs. He was going to be one of the first people at breakfast, which was pretty usual for him. But never was he actually the first. Rose tended to beat him.

As he entered the Great Hall, breakfast wasn't even served yet. Scorpius Malfoy, of course, was sitting at the Slytherin table already, reading some book. He was facing the Gryffindor table, and sort of nodded at Albus. After his dream, it was impossible for Albus not to blush when they made eye contact. He sort of nodded back and then sat down at the Gryffindor table. So far, his objective was not happening.

-CD-

Scorpius looked up over the top of his book. Albus Potter, resident tease, was sitting comfortably at the Gryffindor table, all alone, staring expectantly at the plates in front of him.

Okay. So he wasn't a tease. Scorpius knew he wasn't intentionally trying to be attractive. However, intentional or not, he was attractive. Scorpius wasn't smitten with him or anything ridiculous like that. But he couldn't deny that he was attracted to a decent-looking male. And Albus Potter was a decent-looking male.

Scorpius looked back at his book. The food appeared on the plates in front of him, and he started to put bacon and eggs onto his plate, fueling up for a day of work. He was glad to have Arithmancy. Albus Potter never took that class.

He wanted to be friends with him, very much. He thought he was a truly nice person. But he didn't know what to do about it. Their friendship was interesting, but it had a tinge of awkward to it. The way Potter sort of looked at him—like he sensed that Scorpius had an interest in blokes. He wasn't sure how he would possibly know, but he seemed like it.

Scarlet dropped into the seat next to him, looking tired, as she always did in the mornings before class.

"So," she said.

"So?" he questioned.

"Mr. Potter looks bright red today," she said. "What did you do? Did you already fuck up the relationship?"

"Scarlet," he said. "You're grumpy. Have some pumpkin juice."

"I'm just wondering," she said.

"I didn't do anything," he said. "He must be blushing on his own accord."

"Right, right," Scarlet said. "Excuse me."

"You're excused," he said.

"I just don't know how you could be friends with him and not be _constantly _distracted," she said, laughing a little.

"What do you mean?" he questioned.

"He's so good-looking it would drive me crazy just being in his proximity," she said. "I have a hard enough time when we play him in Quidditch."

"Scarlet, he's just a bloke like everyone else out there," Scorpius said.

"Even you struggle to say that," she said. "I think it's the eyes."

Scorpius did have to admit… Albus Potter had very nice eyes. Bright green. Not a color one got to see every single day, that was for sure.

"I've said it before, and I'll say it again," she said. "I'd do anything he asked, probably without second thought."

Scorpius turned bright red again. For some reason, he highly doubted that even Scarlet would be Albus' type. In fact, Potter didn't actually seem to have a type at all.

"I'm not saying I'd want a relationship with him," Scarlet continued, blabbing on in Scorpius' ear. "I'm just saying he's quite a piece of… Well anyway, who's to say he would care if I wanted a relationship anyway? He probably enjoys a good shagging with no strings attached every once in a while himself…"

Scorpius rolled his eyes. Scarlet was the queen of claiming that there would be no strings attached and then latching on with the strongest, most thickly knotted ropes known to man or wizard kind. Poor Albus wouldn't know what hit him.

Besides, on top of that, Scorpius wasn't sure Albus was the sort of person who would just shag for no reason. As much as he gathered that Albus could probably have any girl in Hogwarts if snapped his fingers at her, and yeah, the past said he'd had a number of short-lived girlfriends… well it didn't seem like the sort of thing he would do. Scorpius was beginning to think more and more that he was actually a genuine human being.

It was amazing how things could surprise you if you just gave them a chance.

He looked over at Albus, who was looking kind of nauseated, truth be told, staring down into his breakfast. Rose had a hand on his shoulder, and seemed to be trying to extract the reason for this odd behavior. If Scorpius was good at reading people from afar—and he liked to think he was—then she was having quite a bit of difficulty achieving what she wanted to.

"Look," Scarlet said. "Are you attracted to him?"

"Shut up," Scorpius said as the Slytherin table continued to fill up around him. "I'm not talking about this here. Okay? This is not your business and it's certainly not the business of the people around us."

"First of all, you're lucky the whole school hasn't figured you out, the way you talk," she said, rolling her eyes. She mimicked him with a pretentious and haughty voice that he had to admit sounded quite… gay. "_Certainly not the business of the people around us… _And Second… well, since when is it not my business? You pretty much tell me everything."

"I know," he said. "And sometimes I worry about that, because one day the amount of secrets you have is going to cause you to explode and you'll walk around shouting your face off about every detail of my life. And that's mostly because my details are less hidden and less stuffed and protected. You've done everything in your power to trap your own secrets. Which means that, while everyone would find out everything about me, they would still know nothing about you. So maybe I should stop."

"Or you could just tell everyone all of your secrets and my life would be a whole lot easier," she said.

"Scarlet, we can go over this a thousand more times if you'd like, though I do have to say, it's becoming quite exhausting: I'm not going to share all of this while I'm at school. End of story," he said.

She changed the pitch of her voice again, into the pretentious and gay one. "_It's become _quite _exhausting. End of story. _Merlin."

He glared at her. "Shut up and eat your breakfast."

"Fine," she said. "You can just continue to gawk at your certain someone then, and I'll sit here and enjoy my cornflakes. Fine."

"Certain someone?" he echoed.

"Yes," she said, glaring at him.

He reached over and flipped her cereal bowl so that its entire contents ended up in her lap. Throwing his bag over his shoulder, he left her sopping wet and cursing. But he was quite pleased with himself.


	11. Unwanted Friendly Ears

**Chapter 11.**

**Unwanted Friendly Ears**

"Happy Halloween!" Scarlet said excitedly, bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet.

"Happy Halloween," Scorpius returned a little bit half-heartedly. He had to admit that he was sort of in a bad mood and had been for a while now.

"Ugh, cheer up," Scarlet said. "You weren't even friends with him before he stopped looking at you."

"I know, but he was nice!" Scorpius said. "And we were sort of friends."

The he in question was Albus Potter. Ever since a few days after their game of wizard chess, their budding friendship had been pruned and effectively nipped in the bud. Potter couldn't look at Scorpius for some reason, and turned red every time they were in each other's proximity. It had made the last couple of weeks very awkward, and Scorpius didn't know what to do about it.

Scorpius pursed his lips and they walked to Herbology together. The weather was stereotypically Halloween. It was pouring rain. Water filled Scorpius' shoes as he cast a spell over their heads to keep them from getting soaked. They followed the rest of the class scurrying to the greenhouses. Everyone was drying each other off when they got inside, and Rose Weasley had conjured up a small blue flame in a jar. Any other teacher would probably have a problem with her lighting fires in their classroom, but Longbottom loved her.

Next to her, Albus Potter was running his hand through the flame as she shrieked at him.

"It doesn't hurt," Albus said. "Good lord, you remind me of your mother."

Rose glared at him. Any other person would say "You remind me of my mother" but apparently Rose was a lot like Albus' aunt instead.

Scorpius and Scarlet took their usual place toward the middle of the greenhouse, waiting for Professor Longbottom to start teaching. Scorpius used his wand to siphon the water out of his shoes, jabbing it in next to his heels.

"Quiet everyone, quiet down," Professor Longbottom said.

Scorpius was in a bad mood. SO when Professor Longbottom started asking questions, he was on his game. Herbology might not have been his best class, but he was still book smart. He beat Rose and Scarlet raising his hand and swept in all of the points for his house, while Rose frowned at him and Scarlet rolled his eyes. But this was how Scorpius dealt with his annoyance, so he kept going.  
>"Well then," Professor Longbottom said. "Mr. Malfoy here has earned quite a deal for his house this morning. Good job, Mr. Malfoy. I commend you."<p>

"Thank you, Professor," Scorpius said, his face tight, and probably scowling.

"You're more than welcome," Professor Longbottom said, grinning.

"Merlin," Scarlet said. "Are you going to lunge and kill? Just let me know… because I'll move out of the way."

"I'm not going to kill," Scorpius grumbled. "I'm just in a bad mood. The weather is taking an already grumpy feeling and making it worse."

Scarlet rolled her eyes as they started their work.

"You should confront him," she said. "Be a man and demand what his problem is. Duel about it."

"Have you seen him in Defense?' Scorpius hissed back. "Yeah, I'll duel that. Clearly, being Harry Potter's son means that you can kick arse at Defense. Do you remember James Potter? He used to destroy people."

"Yes, yes," Scarlet said. "But you want to be an auror."

"Maybe," Scorpius said.

"Maybe," she replied, rolling her eyes again at him.

"Can't you just keep those eyes from rolling back in your head for once?" Scorpius demanded, nearly exploding part of the plant they were working with because he was squeezing it too hard. Instead, it wrapped a long vine around his wrist and pulled him inward.

"Well this is unnerving," he commented as he gently blasted it away with his wand.

"Maybe you shouldn't throttle it then?" Scarlet offered. "These are very sensitive plants. What you just did feels like this."

She grabbed his finger and squeezed very tightly. It actually hurt.

"You and your plants," Scorpius said, rolling his eyes.

"Plants are amazing," Scarlet said. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"They're frustrating," he said.

-CD-

"Mr. Malfoy, come here, please," Professor Longbottom called Scorpius back as he started to exit the greenhouse with Scarlet.

Scorpius turned uncertainly and walked back toward the Professor.

"Yes, sir?" Scorpius said.

"I was just wondering if everything was all right," Longbottom said.

"Excuse me, sir?" Scorpius said. He was taller than the professor, and looking down at him.

"You seemed a little… off?" Longbottom said. "I wondered if the weather was affecting your mood or if it was something else entirely."

"It's a little bit of both," Scorpius said. "But nothing to be concerned about Professor."

"Are you certain?" Longbottom said. "Well my office door is always open, if you need a friendly ear."

"Just friend troubles," Scorpius said. "But thank you."

He personally thought this was a bit awkward, honestly. He and Professor Longbottom had never been particularly close. Herbology was Scorpius' worst subject, and he was, after all, a Slytherin, and Gryffindor's main competition for the house and Quidditch cups.

"Friend troubles?" Longbottom said. "This couldn't possibly have to do with Albus?"

"Huh?" Scorpius said, shocked. Was it obvious?

"I just know that you and Mr. Potter seemed to be getting along well until recently," Longbottom continued.

"Oh," Scorpius said. "It's fine. Nothing to worry about."

"If you're certain…" Professor Longbottom said. "Albus is a… an odd young man. As his mother likes to put it, apparently _emotionally conflicted.'_

"Emotionally conflicted?" Scorpius repeated, finding it almost hard not to laugh at that. Emotionally conflicted didn't describe the Albus he knew.

"Yes, I don't know what that means either," Professor Longbottom said. "Ah well, I'd hurry up. You don't want to be late for your next class.'  
>"I have break, it's all right," Scorpius said, turning to leave.<p>

"Well, just the same, if you ever need a friendly ear…"

"I'll bear that in mind," Scorpius said, walking out of the greenhouse and back into the rain.

-CD-

Albus had basically decided that he was a horrible person. There was really no other way to describe himself. Scorpius Malfoy was a decent bloke, and well, he didn't deserve the cold shoulder Albus was giving him—no matter his reasoning.

But it was good reasoning. For both of their sakes. It was better off if Albus could stay away from someone that would put thoughts into his head he didn't need or want. He wasn't gay, and that was that. If Scorpius Malfoy was going to make him question this… well then clearly they didn't need to be near each other. And besides, as if Malfoy would want to be friends with someone who had had such a dream about him…

For a month, Albus tried to stay awake. He wanted to avoid future awkward dreams. But honestly, the hours spent lying in his bed staring at the ceiling weren't exactly helpful. They just gave him time to think about things. And for him, thinking meant worrying, fretting, thinking, and opening up things that were better left shut away.

He flopped into a seat in Charms, wishing, more than anything, for a bit of anything to wake him up. These sleepless nights were taking their toll on him. He was lethargic and muted, and not performing up to his usual standards.

"You need to go get a potion or something," Rose said, looking at him, concerned.

"I'm fine," Albus said. They'd just had a break. And he'd almost fallen asleep. But not in time to go to Charms.

"No you're not," she said. "You've been like this for a while now. The only time you're performing up to standards is on the Quidditch pitch."

Yes why was that? No matter what he did, or how much sleep he lost, Albus, without fail, was always on fine form at Quidditch. He was working his team hard and working hard along with them. He wasn't going to let the dreams of the cup fail due to a few other dreams.

"Go to Madam Tolomei," Rose urged.

"I'm fine," Albus growled.

"No. You're going," she said. "If I have to walk you there myself."

She urged him up out of his seat and he loped from the room. He supposed he could do what Rose asked and go to the nurse.

When he got there, the infirmary was empty. The nurse was folding sheets with her wand and looked up when Albus entered.

"Mr. Potter," she said. "What can I do for you?"

"Well, truth be told I feel awful," he said. "Have for a while now. And Rose finally forced me to come."

"You look tired. Have you been sleeping?" she asked.

"No," he said. "I suppose that's probably the root of the problem."

"Well," she said. "Why don't you have a seat and we'll talk for a while.'

Albus sat down where she pointed.

"What's been bothering you?" she said. "Are you stressed about school? Quidditch? The future? A combination of all three."

"More my future and… just social stuff. And personal stuff," Albus said. He hated this nurse. She was such a talker, and thought the cause of every illness could be discovered from a bit of chit chatting.

"Personal stuff?" she said. "Like what?"

"It's nothing really," he said. He was not going to share with the school nurse his concerns about his… sexuality. That was a topic he didn't even want to bring up to himself.

"Well," she said. "I think there's something more there."

"Well… yeah." This was awkward. There was just no need to go any further.

"Would you like to elaborate?" she prompted.

"Not particularly," he said.

"All I can say," she said. "Is that you should be who you are."

"What the heck does that mean?" he wondered.

"Don't try to be something you're not," she said. "I think that's a big problem with a lot of you Quidditch boys. It happened to your brother too. You get caught up in being Harry Potter's son, being the Quidditch star, and all that, and you want to be this image that everyone expects you to be. I can assure you that the world will not explode if you become who you really are, and it's not that ever-anticipated mold. Look at your brother. Everyone thought he would be an auror. But no. James went and started a career in curse breaking. And more power to him."

Albus stared at her. This woman had to have ears everywhere. Including in his head. She was telling him the sort of thing a person like Albus needed to hear, but that probably wouldn't make him change all that much instantaneously. At least, in this moment of weird feeling social issues, it was something nice to hear.

"Okay," he said.

"I'm going to give you a potion to give you a nice good sleep right now. You won't go back to class today. And then when you wake up, if you still feel a little off, I'll give you a Pepper-Up Potion. All right?"

He nodded and she pointed out which bed he should take. He had to admit, while she was all too nosy and certainly thought she was a little wiser than she actually was, she was a very nice nurse.

He settled down on one of the beds after she gave him the potion, and he drifted off to a nice sleep, still in all of his school robes. In fact, it was the first good sleep, the first dreamless sleep, Albus had had in a while. It was probably not the point of the potion, but it kept him comfortably asleep until the middle of the next day.


	12. How You Play Quidditch

**_A/N: Hey everyone! I hope you are enjoying this so far. I just have a few things to say really quickly: the first is, if you disagree with something in my fic (other than the impending pairing and my established character personalities) or if you have any avice, I'd love to talk to you about it, so don't feel like you have to review anonymously. I won't take offense. I just like to be able to A. get as much out of your advice as I can and B. defend myself if needed and explain why I did something. To all reviewers I PROMISE to be cordial and respectful if you are cordial and respectful to me. If you flame me, I'll be happy to use the heat to lower my heating bill. But I haven't had that problem here! And secondly, I just want to say everything I write in this fic, I write for a reason. It may seem originally far-fetched, but I promise I have a reason and it will come back around. _**

**_Sorry for the rambly note. Thanks to all who review. Makes me smile!. _**

**Chapter 12**

**How You Play Quidditch **

"We can't lose," Albus informed all of them. "And by that I don't mean it's impossible. I mean it's not allowable. If you think we've been working hard now, I can assure you that it is nothing compared to how hard we are working if we lose…

"That being said, however, I don't think we're going to lose. I'm very excited. We've trained well, you've trained hard. I've trained with you. I know we're ready for this. Just go out there and play hard and play well and we'll be good. I have faith in all of you. I do.

"The weather is nice. It's blue skies, nice, fresh, cool air, and a bright sun. So make sure you fly accordingly. Always remember that while the weather might be advantageous to us, it's also advantageous to the Hufflepuff team."

"Look at you using big words like 'advantageous,'" Lily said, snickering.

"Shut up," Albus said. "Let's just play some Quidditch, shall we?"

"We shall," Owen said. "Ready mate?"

"Ready," Albus said.

The team walked out onto the pitch, ready to play. Commentating on the match this morning was the strict, ready, no nonsense commentator, Eva Finnigan. She was a strict lover of Quidditch but never had played a game in her life.

"Welcome onto the pitch, the Gryffindor team," she announced, and the Gryffindor stands erupted into loud cheers. The Slytherins, as usual, chose to boo, though Albus noted a few heads were giving a kind nod and an appropriate hand clap.

"And the Hufflepuff team!" Eva continued. "Hufflepuff is captained by seventh year beater Jesse Wadsworth, playing for his fourth year and first year as captain. The Gryffindor team is captained by promising seeker Albus Potter, captaining for his third year and seeking for his seventh."

"Potter, Wadsworth, shake hands," Madam Croft said, sternly looking at both of them. Albus offered his hands, and Wadsworth squeezed it tightly, grinning at him. He was another person Albus was fairly good friends with, despite a Quidditch rivalry.

The teams took to the air, Rose shooting off toward the hoops, Albus watching the case where the snitch would be released shortly, keeping his eye on things.

"The snitch is released," Eva commented as the snitch flitted off into the sky, instantly out of sight. But Albus wasn't deterred. The Hufflepuff seeker, a new person, a younger girl, looked slightly confused and very much nervous. The bludgers shot into the air, and as soon as the quaffle had been tossed. Madam Croft blew hard on her whistle, sending the shrill sound through the ears of every player. The game began.

"Lily Potter immediately takes possession of the quaffle, dodging a bludger that has now been blocked by Fred Weasley…"

Albus zoned into seeker mode. As much as he had to captain his team, he knew they were self-sufficient. He didn't need to whisper plays into their ears all of the time, though sometimes he would. He was focused and determined.

Six previous years of seeking had trained him well. His body knew what to do and how to really find that snitch. What pattern he took depended on the weather, the people, the sunlight. He had studied the golden snitch and he knew how to find it on a brilliantly sunny day. This was his game.

Beneath him, his Diamond Sixty was ready to shoot off like a bullet when he urged it.

Gryffindor had ten points, no twenty now… Hufflepuff had nothing.

Albus' eyes flicked across the pitch over the grass, around the players as he looped widely above their heads or around their bodies. The Hufflepuff seeker was drifting back and forth in a diagonals pattern changing her altitude every so often. Perhaps an effective method for her, but by no means an effective method for Albus.

Hufflepuff scored on Rose. Albus could hear her cursing from the other side of the pitch. She didn't take missed saves lying down. She wouldn't let them score again for a while.

"Ella!' he shouted, just in time to make one of his chasers avoid a bludger shot at her by Wadsworth.

Albus ducked low, skimming along above the pitch grass, looking in every direction.

"Albus Potter continues to scan the pitch for the snitch, while his younger sister leads the chasers of the Gryffindor team with obvious finesse. Quidditch certainly runs in that Potter blood, as James Potter had the lead in scoring for Hogwarts chasers for his last three years of Hogwarts." Eva's voice rang over the stands as Albus gained height again.

-CD-

"_That," _Scarlet said. "Is how you play Quidditch."

Scorpius didn't take his eyes off the game, but grunted his agreement.

"Lily Potter is ripping that keeper apart," Scarlet said. "Oh boy… I'm worried for us Scorp."

The Gryffindor team scored another ten points, shot this time by their young girl chaser, younger than Lily.

"You love these games don't you?" Scarlet said. "You get to assess the competition."

"Just remember, Potter will be assessing us next weekend," Scorpius said, leaning forward in his seat. They were in the front row of the Slytherin section of the stands, because Scorpius would willingly push first years out of the way and invoke Head Boy privileges he didn't actually have in order to sit in the front row.

"You're assessing him now," she whispered, earning herself an elbow to the ribs. She grumbled at him as he studied the moves of what was, admittedly, the best seeker in Hogwarts. He never got over that sort of talent. Scorpius had seen people look like that on broomsticks before. At the Quidditch World Cup. Not even at any other professional games.

He had to admit he was jealous. Albus Potter certainly looked less at home walking than he did flying. In fact, in comparison, he looked awkward on his feet. Scorpius would kill to have that sort of natural flying skill born in him, like Potter appeared to have.

Not to mention he looked good doing it. As much as their friendship had been kicked out the window pretty abruptly by none other than the Gryffindor seeker himself, Scorpius could still admire him. Just because they were sort of friends for three minutes didn't mean that Scorpius couldn't find him to be a nice-looking person.

"Quidditch robes are very attractive," he hissed at Scarlet.

"You don't have to tell me twice," she said. "Not to mention their arses… Merlin…"

"Stop," he begged of her. He didn't want to look at Albus Potter's arse. If he did, he wasn't sure he would be able to contain himself. As much as he wanted to be Potter's friend, his body knew what it was attracted to, and it wouldn't hesitate to tell him, no matter if it was in public.

He lifted his head as Rose Weasley blocked a very good shot, looking quite pleased with herself as she did so.

"Ugh," Scarlet said. "They're so good at this bloody sport…"

"We're good too," Scorpius assured her, wrinkling his nose up as Albus Potter swooped close by the stands. His speed was high, and the wind from his flight was felt where Scorpius was sitting.

"Do you think he's seen the snitch?" Scarlet asked eagerly, leaning forward in his seat. Scorpius followed her gaze, peering after Albus Potter as he shot toward the hoops that Hufflepuff was guarding.

"I don't think so," Scorpius said. "He flies faster if he's seen the snitch."

Potter was bent far over on his broomstick though, giving Scorpius a view of exactly what he was trying to avoid.

"Embrace what you like," Scarlet urged him as she saw him swallow the lump that had settled in his throat.

"Stop," he snapped, looking away and back at the rest of the game.

Scarlet and yellow bobbed about on the pitch, shooting past each other in smears and blurs. Eva Finnegan kept up her strict, and shockingly unbiased commentary as her house scored one after another. That didn't mean she didn't groan occasionally when the Hufflepuff team scored on Rose Weasley. Rose had let in two goals and each time gotten quite angry, Scorpius wasn't sure she would be able to contain herself. She was mild-mannered and kind most of the time, except for when she thought someone was besting her. Mild-mannered but competitive.

"She's a good keeper," Scarlet commented.

"We have good chasers," he reminded her.

"Do you think you can catch the snitch before that machine?" she wondered, pointing at Potter. They were twenty minutes into the game and no catching had occurred yet…

"I don't know," Scorpius said. "Maybe yeah. I think I could."

Scarlet didn't say anything. He knew what she had been thinking. In five games against Gryffindor, and several pick up games against each other, Scorpius had never caught the snitch before Albus Potter. He had an eye, and perfect vision. Scarlet used to marvel that he was half man, half snitch sensing robot. And then she had to explain, as she was a half-blood, what exactly a robot was. And when she explained, it definitely made a lot more sense than just being born with that sort of talent. If one could smell a snitch, Scorpius was certain that Albus' nose would be equipped to sense it from a very great distance.

"If I try hard enough," he said. "Catch him on that one off day."

"Poison him at breakfast, murder him in the bathroom," Scarlet said.

"Thanks," Scorpius said. Though he had to admit she was right.

"Look, Scorp," she said. "You're a great seeker. You're very, very good. You would be the best seeker in the school. Except, there's Potter. And he's just out of this world good. So I'm not trying to say that you're a bad seeker, or that I don't believe in you. It's just… well… look at that!"

She pointed at Potter who had started speeding along at speeds Scorpius recognized. Albus Potter, once he had spotted the little golden ball, never wasted any time in catching it. He moved at speeds that many people would deem unsafe, especially for a snitch catch that could be anywhere. He became nothing but a streak of scarlet, topped with a scribble of jet black hair, shooting past the yellow and red and green that was the pitch and game around him.

The Hufflepuff seeker was on the other side of the pitch, and slow on the uptake. She didn't start flying until Scorpius and everyone around him knew it was too late. While most of the others in the Slytherin stands were groaning at the obvious success of Potter and the Gryffindor team, well before it actually happened, Scorpius found himself cheering his rival on. Even Scarlet appreciated the seeking skills of such a fantastic player.

Every time he watched a Quidditch match, Scorpius wondered if he could've seen the snitch himself. This time, he still couldn't spot it, even watching the path that Potter seemed to be taking.

Abruptly, the scarlet-clad seeker turned to the left, cutting the corner so sharply, most of the crowd gasped. He plummeted rapidly toward the ground, directly at the corner where the stands met the pitch grass. His hand was outstretched already, the Hufflepuff seeker trying to make ground but failing miserably. Potter cork screwed through the air so that he was flying upside down. He reached out and was about to collide with the stands themselves. Everyone around Scorpius gasped and held their breath and shielded their eyes. Scorpius knew he wouldn't so much as tap the outer wall. Albus swooped down and ended up right side up, standing on the pitch, though he had never seemed to slow at all until that moment.

In his hand, Albus Potter held the Golden Snitch.

And while Scorpius knew he had partially been showing off with that upside down trick, he couldn't help but admit that was an amazing catch.

"Albus Potter has caught the snitch. Gryffindor wins!" Eva Finnegan declared, as the crowd roared on the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw sides. Albus' team joined him on the ground.

-CD-

When the game was over, Albus headed back toward the castle, finding it impossible to keep the grin off of his face. Just as he locked the Gryffindor locker room behind him, Scorpius Malfoy walked around the side of the pitch. Albus looked at the ground as he approached.

"Hey, Al—Potter. That," he said to Albus. "Was one spectacular catch."


	13. Supposedly Extensive Egos

**Chapter 13.**

**The Supposedly Extensive Egos of the Gold and Scarlet. **

"Um…" Albus said. "Thanks."

"You're welcome," Scorpius said. "I just thought that… even though we're not exactly friends… you ought to know that."

'Thanks," Albus said again.

"Yeah," Scorpius said. "I'm sure you've got some sort of Gryffindor rager to go to right about now, so I'll let you go."

"I was just showing off," Albus admitted.

"Huh?" Scorpius said.

"I was just showing off," Albus said, blushing. He looked at the ground, embarrassed. "I could've caught it upright, but I decided to do the upside down one and get off the broom and all that…"

"Well it still was pretty spectacular," Scorpius said. "Showing off or not. Congratulations on the win."

"Thanks," Albus said, smiling a little. "I'm pretty proud of my team."

"You should be," Scorpius said. "They played very well."

Albus finally truly looked him in the face. His silver eyes sparkled in the early evening light.

"I… I hope you don't think poorly of me," Albus mustered clearing his throat awkwardly.

"Huh?" Scorpius said again.

"For not speaking to you lately," Albus said. "I've been feeling a bit off color."

"Oh? Not ill, I hope?" Scorpius said.

This conversation had taken a turn for the formal, and Albus wasn't sure if that was a good thing.

"No,' Albus said. "Just not at my best until lately. Rose forced me into the hospital wing one day, and I swear I owe her my sanity for it."

"Oh," Scorpius said. "Well that's a good thing then. That you're feeling better, I mean."

"Yes," Albus said. "So I suppose I should apologize for the way I have been behaving."

"Which is how?" Scorpius questioned, a frown creasing his face.

"Ignoring you," Albus said. "We had somewhat of a friendship, and I did abandon it, despite how fun it would be to bother our fathers with it."

"It's fine," Scorpius said.

"You must've thought I was a bit odd," Albus said. He would get over this. No matter what had happened in the past, no matter how he had felt in that dream, well, he could ignore it. He had to, in order to be a decent person. Because there were a lot of things that Albus didn't know about himself, but he did know that he was, deep down, a nice person.

"Not really," Scorpius said, even though Albus could tell it was a lie.

"So, if you'll excuse my behavior," Albus said, clearing his throat again. "I think we can call this a somewhat friendship."

"A somewhat friendship?" Scorpius echoed.

"Yes," Albus said, offering out his hand for a handshake. Scorpius shook it cordially.

"Sounds fine to me," Scorpius said.

"And the Gryffindor party is not until after dinner," Albus said. "I'm going to go up for dinner. I don't know about you."

"Yeah…" Scorpius said, shoving his hands into his pocket.

They were quiet for a moment, walking up toward the school. Albus didn't know what to say. He was still trying to make sure that there were no weird feelings that could lead to freaky dreams recurring. That was the goal.

He sighed.

"This is going well,' Scorpius commented.

Albus laughed. "Tell me about it."

"Look," Scorpius said. "If something is awkward, if you don't actually want to try to get along, because you realized that my personality is actually kind of flat, I wouldn't blame you. Honestly, I wouldn't be missing a whole lot, or terribly hurt. And I don't mean that to be offensive. I just mean that to say, well, you're not my friend yet, so you not being my friend isn't any sort of change."

"No," Albus said. "I just have a pretty screwed up life."

"Albus Potter has a screwed up life?" Scorpius questioned. "Son of the great hero himself? Really?"

"It's all screwed up in here," Albus said, pointing to his black-covered head. He knew he had his issues, and his parents and family knew he had them too. He just didn't usually share them with the rest of the world.

"Oh," Scorpius said.

"Yeah," Albus said. "But not much, you know. Hey. Everyone's a little screwed up, you know?"

"Everyone is definitely a little screwed up," Scorpius said. "In their own way. I blame my parents."

"Don't we all?" Albus said. "My parents are pretty much the perfect parents. But I got their traits, and they created my brain. So it's definitely their fault."

"When in doubt, blame inheritance," Scorpius said.

"My motto exactly," Albus said. "I mean, hey, they all went through a lot, so yeah, I cut them some slack."

"My mother is a goddess, I think, the stuff she does and puts up with," Scorpius said. "But everything that's wrong with me was made that way by her."

"It's funny, isn't it?" Albus said. "They're just being themselves. They're just being good people, or the people they know they should be… and yet they single handedly ruin us so that we have to struggle to figure it all out again."

"I think that's part of their job," Scorpius said. "It really forces us to find our own way in the world, don't you think? Forces us to suck it up and change ourselves into who we know we really are, without the outside influence."

"I agree, I guess," Albus said. "But for right now, I'm going to blame them. It would be a lot easier if they could've just pointed me in the right direction. Instead, they basically tied a blindfold over my eyes and spun me in circles, and then said 'go.'"

"With not even a little nudge in the right direction," Scorpius said.

"I suppose that's sort of what all parents do," Albus said. "They get you in the right place and then let you find your own way from there."

"I don't think they can do anything else," Scorpius said.

-CD-

Scorpius wanted to jump off the Astronomy Tower. It would make his life easier. A ten minute walk from the Quidditch pitch to dinner, speaking with Albus, had come quite near to making his head explode. The bloke was a bit layered. And Scorpius could tell he was a little more… screwed up… than the rest of the world got to see, than he had been privileged to see in his few moments of friendship earlier in the school year.

He settled down in the common room by the fireplace. It was getting to be chilly outside. They had been lucky for no snow or rain this afternoon during the Quidditch match. He was just… left thinking.

Yes, Albus Potter was attractive. That much was established. But at the same time, Scorpius was genuinely interested in him as a person, a potential friend. He figured it would be easy enough to get over the attractiveness, as if Albus was some other friend to him. Hell, his friend Kirk was a decent looking bloke, and Scorpius didn't feel awkward about being his friend. It was the same way that girls could be friends with guys and vice versa. Scarlet herself had said it. She thought Scorpius was attractive before she knew his personal preference for relationships. And she still managed to be his friend, because she didn't feel anything else for him. They could be friends.

That all gave him hope for him and Albus Potter.

"Mate, do you want to play a game of Exploding Snap?" Kirk asked him, waving him over to a table where he and Nick were setting up a game.

"Oh sure," Scorpius said. Kirk was one of his better guy friends, his roommate. They liked to complain about the other guys in their dorm together, because they didn't clean up well. And of course there was Nick, who had become a much better friend of his the more they delved into the Quidditch season.

With a pang of regret, Scorpius realized that they were just the sort of people that would probably freak out a little if they ever found out what sort of people Scorpius was interested in. That was why he had his number one reason on top of the list of reasons why he wasn't going to share all of the little details about his life out loud to everyone while still in school.

"I haven't played a good game of Exploding Snap yet this year," Nick said.

"We should be training for Quidditch," Kirk said, laughing a little. "After that game, you can call me reasonably scared for the future of our Quidditch team."

"I think we can easily beat Hufflepuff," Scorpius said.

"Gryffindor is going to require a little more work," Nick said, chuckling.

"Well yeah," Scorpius said. "They showed some remarkable skill out there. They deserve the recognition and commendation."

"Yeah, yeah," Nick said. "Just don't expect me to be waving red and gold pompoms any time soon."

"Au contraire," Kirk said. "I think you mean _scarlet _not red."

"Oh pardon moi," Nick said, rolling his eyes. He laughed.

Scorpius laughed along with them. He had to agree. It would go against the grain to support Gryffindor, but it was impossible to deny the level of skill they had. Particularly their seeker.

"I honestly think that the biggest problem is their seeker," Kirk said.

"Don't remind me," Scorpius said, groaning.

"Albus the show off," Nick said.

"He's not a bad guy," Scorpius said.

"For a Gryffindor," Kirk said. "He thinks a pretty highly of himself and his seeking ability."

Scorpius wasn't sure he could deny that.

"Gryffindors do have an ego problem," Nick said. "Them and Ravenclaws."

"Ravenclaws have a problem respecting anyone with slightly lesser intelligence than theirs," Scorpius said.

'Easy for them to say," Nick said. "The best two of your year are in Slytherin and Gryffindor."

"That was more blood than the Sorting Hat," Scorpius said.

"Yeah, what Weasley wouldn't end up in Gryffindor?" Kirk said. "And what Malfoy wouldn't end up in Slytherin?"

"I won't deny that I belong here," Scorpius said, waving his arms about toward the room. "It's a pretty great pit of despair don't you think?"

"Pit of despair?" Nick echoed, laughing loudly. "I guess so. That is what the rest call it."

"I wouldn't trade it for a Ravenclaw tower or a squishy Hufflepuff set…" Scorpius said.

"Or a gold and _scarlet _Gryffindor tower either," Kirk said.

"I like this," Scorpius said.

"I call it mood lighting," Kirk said, elbowing Scorpius and laughing.

"For the smooth, romantic Slytherin men," Nick said.

"And you include yourself in that list of smooth, romantic Slytherin men?" Kirk said, laughing even more loudly.

"Hey, hey," Nick said. "I have my way with the witches, mates. I do. I swear."

"He's a virgin," Kirk declared, snorting. Scorpius laughed too. He couldn't talk, being a virgin himself, but the way Nick was acting was humorous.

"I am not!" Nick said.

"You're sixteen. I'll tell your mother on you," Kirk said. "You better be well-behaved."

"Hey, I go to school to get away from my mother," Nick said. "Don't bring her into this."

"What's her name then, Professor Smooth?" Kirk said.

Nick lowered his voice. "Don't tell anyone, right?'

"Fine," Kirk said, and Scorpius nodded, all of them leaning in.

"It's Scarlet," Nick whispered.

"Oh Merlin!" Scorpius said, hitting Nick on the shoulder. "You don't tell me that. That's like saying you're shagging my sister, mate! Oh Merlin…"

"Well I'm sorry, but you asked," Nick said.

"I didn't ask, Kirk asked," Scorpius said. "That's pretty much revolting."

"Oh come on, you've been friends with her forever," Kirk said. "Have you not shagged her once?"

"No!" Scorpius said. "She's like my sister. That would be like shagging my sister. If I had a sister."

Nick snorted. "Well if it's any consolation, she's very good."

"Stop talking," Scorpius said. "I'm going to have to cast a Memory Charm in order to get that image out of my head…"


	14. The Life and Times of a Hero's Son

**Chapter 14.**

**The Life and Times of a Hero's Son**

Albus had a lot of… issues. More than most people thought or knew, and more than would seem to the naked eye. He also chose to think that there were many more than anyone would expect from the son of Harry Potter. Because most people would expect the son of Harry Potter to be happy, normal, and most likely exceedingly brilliant and capable of saving the wizarding world.

Albus had long since decided he was none of those.

That was probably where it started, too. The feelings of not being good enough to be his father's son. He'd been worried about living up to standards for as long as he could remember. He thought about the time he'd worried so much about possibly being in Slytherin. His father had been consoling and great. But not even that, a talk from his father, his closest and most trusted confidant, could assuage his fears.

Self-esteem problems plagued most preteens and teens at some point, but Albus' extended frequently into the category of self-loathing. He found himself depressed, at least mildly so, by age thirteen. What his problem was, even he didn't know. He was the best seeker at Hogwarts, even at age thirteen, he had a lot of friends, and a lot of girls, even those older than him, were interested in him. But it didn't help.

He had long since decided he wasn't good enough.

Rose was the one who told his mother. She always was his best friend, and she knew when things were wrong. Before fourth year, Ginny and Harry got concerned, obviously. They tried to get to the root of the problem. James tried to get to the root of the problem. It was one of the biggest fights the Potter family had ever had, that Albus could remember. It was Ginny, Harry and James against Albus. His argument was just that he wasn't happy, and honestly, there was nothing wrong with that. His parents didn't buy it.

The thing about the magical world was, just like the muggle world, they had what Albus preferred to call "shrinks." And he was dragged off to one right before fourth year, and then whenever his parents felt like dragging him away from Hogwarts—usually with the approval of the headmaster.

He had to admit, he was mostly happier after that. He still had a lot of doubts and whatnot, though. James would deny it, but Albus knew he had been enlisted to babysit him, to make sure things didn't go downhill.

In fifth year, when Albus started to get worried about things like who he was attracted to and all that hell, things took a turn for the worse. He convinced himself that the only reason he was Quidditch captain was because his parents were friends with Neville and they convinced him it would be good for his self-esteem.

Now he wasn't so sure. If there was one thing that Albus appreciated about himself and never doubted, it was his Quidditch ability. He was good, and he knew it, and he wasn't going to say otherwise.

But he was still moody, and he had his moments. He was lucky he had Rose. She tolerated him beyond all belief, and looked out for him. He was glad to have her. She dug him out of his own self-made holes, and forced him to go to the nurse for a pepper up potion or a good night's sleep, if that's what he needed.

He had to admit, he was better. He was happier. For the most part.

It was just that ever-lingering question that bothered him, that made him worry and quite truly freaked him out. What on earth would he do if he were gay? He had no answers. He wasn't ready for that sort of thing. He couldn't be that sort of person. It would ruin everything. It would ruin Quidditch and school for him. And his parents. His parents were great, but they wouldn't deal well with that sort of thing. There would be tears and there would be sobbing, and honestly, Albus Potter wasn't sure it would be good for anyone if word got out that Harry Potter's younger son was a queer. Albus didn't want to bring the shame down on his parents or his brother and sister if he was gay. They didn't deserve it.

Not that he was or anything. It was just an if. A big fat if.

Because honestly, as he sat in the library one afternoon, avoiding Natalia who had increased her efforts after the Quidditch match, he was having a rough time. All sorts of questions were running rampant in a brain he preferred to keep quiet.

"Are you all right?' Scorpius asked him from across the table. They were both hanging out on a Saturday afternoon. Scorpius was doing homework. Albus was pretending to do homework.

"I'm fine," Albus lied.

In truth, he was having a hard time not picturing what Scorpius would look like with a shirt off.

-CD-

Scorpius hadn't figured out how to breach the subject right away. He knew it had to be brought up, because he needed to provide his usual wise lecture.

"Scarlet," he said, sitting next to her in the common room.

"Mm hmm?" she said, not looking up from her _Witch Weekly, _where she was taking a quiz to determine what sort woman she was. Scorpius knew nothing about it.

"I need to ask you something," he said awkwardly.

She held up one finger. "Shush."

"Okay…" he said, watching carefully.

After what felt like several eternities, Scarlet closed the magazine. "Yes?"

"Are you quite finished?" he asked.

"I am _quite _finished," she said. "And for your information, I am a stereotypical redhead."

"That's wonderful," he said.

"What is it that you need to ask me?" she wondered, folding her hands on her lap.

"You're probably going to hit me, so I just thought I'd warn you I have my wand ready to put up a shield if I need to, so please keep your fists and claws to yourself," he said.

"Fine," she said, her expression wary. "Go right ahead."

"I was wondering…" he said, clearing his throat. "If… there were any relationship developments you wanted to share with me?"

She pursed her lips, and wrinkled her nose as if she had just smelled some dragon dung. "Excuse me?"

"I'm just curious," he said.

"And what brings about this newfound curiosity?" she asked.

"Well…" he said, dropping his voice. "Nick told me that you two are shagging."

She spluttered. "What?"

"Are you not?" Scorpius said. "I knew he was lying—"

"No, we are," she said. "I just didn't think the little shit would tell you! Bloody hell, I'm going to wring his thick beater neck…"

"I must say, I strongly discourage team fraternization," he said.

Scarlet narrowed her eyes. "Oh come off it…"

"Well…" Scorpius said. "Are you sleeping around, Scarlet?"

"No!" she said. "Merlin. I don't need the mother sex talk again, if it's all the same to you. I've gotten it a thousand times. I'm sorry if my legs are a little too far apart for you, but that's just who I am. And Nick is a fucking good shag. You wouldn't understand. He might be a sixth year, but he's got some sure promise."

"I can't believe you're doing this," Scorpius said. "I suppose you told him it was a no strings attached relationship? You're not boyfriend and girlfriend, and you're certainly nothing more than fuck buddies, but you can shag all you want?"

"Yes," she said.

"Scarlet, have you ever been capable of such a relationship?" he wondered.

She narrowed her eyes again. "I could be."

"In what universe?" Scorpius said.

"Look, I don't want anything with him. He's still a kid," she said. "He's not even of age yet."

"Scarlet," he said. "You've said this before. You say you'll remain collected and just as you intend, and then all of a sudden, you trip and fall head over heels."

"He's just good looking," she grumbled.

"I know that," he said. "But you shouldn't make your decisions based on what people look like."

Maybe not," she said. "But I have. And I promise you, I won't get attached, and we'll just have fun shagging."

Scorpius shook his head. "Great. This is just wonderful."

"You have no faith in me!" she said.

"Scarlet, I have faith in you. Just not in this area," he said.

"Fine," she said. "Be that way."

"I will be," he said. "I'm just looking out for you."

"Well, let me look out for myself," she said.

"Don't come crying to me," he said.

"Okay," she said.

He was quiet for a minute. "You know I don't mean that right?"

"Yes," she said, laughing a little.

-CD-

"This is kind of weird," Scorpius said, pulling the Potions book closer to him.

"What?" Albus wondered, scribbling away at the essay in front of him.

"This sudden friendship," Scorpius said.

"Well it worked mostly because I need someone else to study with or my mind wanders," Albus said.

Scorpius laughed. "All right then."

"I'm just saying," Albus said, looking back at his papers.

Scorpius looked at him for a moment. His mind was wandering. In a bad way. Hadn't he said a million times to Scarlet that Albus certainly _was _his type? Well that sort of led to problems. He figured over time he would get used to it, but the closeness of Albust wasn't helping matters, because occasionally, a gust of damnable air would waft through the library and sneak up on them, bringing the broomstick polish smell of Albus across the small table to him.

Albus set his quill down and pulled the essay he was working on toward him, as if to review the writing.

"I could write a six foot essay on everything I hate about Potions," Albus said.

"It's not a bad class," Scorpius protested.

"Nope," Albus said. "It's not. I agree. A bad class is Transfiguration. Twelve feet for that one. With my small handwriting."

Scorpius laughed a little.

"I'm just saying, most classes bore me," Albus said. "I'd rather be playing Quidditch than getting an education."

"Education is essential," Scorpius said.

"You sound like my aunt,' Albus said, rolling his eyes. "My dad only went to six years of Hogwarts."

"Didn't he spend the seventh one destroying Voldemort?" Scorpius asked.

"Still," Albus said.

Scorpius just looked back at his own essay. His handwriting was smaller than Albus's and he had a few more inches of parchment. This was what he got for being an overachiever. Albus would probably still get decent marks.

"Quidditch match tomorrow," Albus said.

"Yep," Scorpius said.

"Is your team ready?" Albus wondered.

'Of course we are," Scorpius said, rolling his eyes.

"I'm just wondering," Albus said. He looked down at his paper. "I can't believe I'm doing homework on a Friday. You've corrupted me Malfoy."

"I tried," Scorpius said.

"I guess it's nice to have the weekends free," Albus said.

"Sleep in," Scorpius said.

"I'm not much of a sleeper," Albus said. "And by that, I mean I don't get a lot of it."

"Why not?" Scorpius wondered.

Albus shrugged. "Just the way I am, I guess."

Scorpius nodded. Albus picked at the corner of his parchment, shriveling it up in his fingers and then smoothing it out again. Then he crumbled it back up and smoothed it back out. They were both quiet.

Albus stretched out his arm to take the Potions book back. Scorpius noted the muscles in his forearms, long and lean, visible because he rolled up his shirtsleeves. They weren't bulky muscles, but they were muscles just the same.

"I'll go put this back on the shelf," Albus said, standing up and carrying the book away with him.

Scorpius waited as he disappeared, sighing to himself.


	15. Party Like a Slytherin

**Chapter 15.**

**Party Like a Slytherin**

Scorpius looked down at the glittering golden ball in his hands. Success at its finest. Lorcan and Lysander glared at him from where they were flying below him. Scorpius let his broom drop to the ground as the stands roared around him.

It was certainly nice to have won.

Scarlet landed next to him and clapped him on the back.

"Nice catch, captain," she said, grinning.

"Oh thanks," he said. It hadn't been a nice catch at all. It had been luck. The snitch practically flung itself at him, flitting in front of his face. All he had to do was reach out and grab it. It wasn't spectacular or death defying, or anything remarkable at all.

But he still had won. They were one step closer to the Quidditch cup, and that was all that mattered.

The team traipsed back to the locker room, clumping into the showers, girls on one side of the locker room, boys on the other. Scorpius thanked Merlin for the captain's shower and took to it alone, relishing the warm water. It had been a very bitter November day, frost on the ground in the morning, and a high chance of snow in the night. He was excited. He loved snow. He could watch it for ages. He liked warm nights curled up under the blankets in the dormitory, with warming pans between the sheets and roaring fires in the common room.

When Scorpius finally reemerged from his office and shower, the only people left in the locker room were Scarlet and Nick. He had her pinned up against a locker, kissing her passionately. Scorpius made a mental note to cover the whole locker room with a sanitizing spell before the team went in there again, and decided he wouldn't wait up for Scarlet, nor would he be concerned about her when she didn't reappear for a while after dinner.

Albus was waiting for him outside of the locker room, bundled up in a cloak, and puffing out his breath to watch it float through the air. Scorpius was actually surprised to see him.

"Nice catch," Albus said, grinning. They both knew it had been a crazy lucky moment.

"Thanks," Scorpius said. "That was a tricky one."

Albus laughed, and his breath billowed out like puffs of smoke from his mouth. "Merlin I love this weather."

"Me too," Scorpius said. "The nice chill."

"Everything's frosty," Albus said, laughing a little at how childish he sounded. "Gotta love it though, right?"

"I do," Scorpius said. "I hate when people complain about the cold."

Albus grinned. "That's Rose. She doesn't like the winter. She'd much rather hang out in the sun and sweat all day."

"Look at that!" Scorpius said, pointing.

The first real snowflakes were drifting lazily to the ground, sailing in on the light breeze.

Albus tilted his head up to the sky, watching the snowflakes dance in the pale early evening light.

"I didn't know what team to support today," Albus commented as they finally started back toward the school.

"Why?" Scorpius said.

"Well I'm really good friends with Lorcan and Lysander. I've grown up with them. But the Slytherin team was obviously better, I do have to say," Albus said. "And I usually root for the best. The Quidditch team I support is the Montrose Magpies. The best of the British and Irish League, of course. When I picked my team when I was little, I asked my dad who was the best, and he told me them. So I went with that. James likes Appleby and Lily the Harpies… But I picked the best."

"That doesn't surprise me," Scorpius, laughing a little.

"Who do you support?" Albus wondered.

"Tutshill Tornadoes," Scorpius said.

"Decent team," Albus said. "They did well last year."

"That they did," Scorpius said. "Who would you want to play for?"

"Well, obviously, I'd love to play for Montrose," Albus said.

"I heard Professor Thomas talking with Higgs and Longbottom. Scouts have been coming. They're interested in you and Scarlet. They were originally interested in me, but Higgs told them that I would never play professionally, and they said it wasn't a big deal because even I looked bad in your shadow. And they won't get Scarlet either, which they will learn soon. She's too interested in her plants to go anywhere. So it looks like they're here for you. And there were a ton of them at your game."

"Where do you hear this stuff?" Albus demanded.

"I have my ways," Scorpius said. "I must say, being Head Boy certainly has its perks."

Albus laughed a little. "Well, you didn't by chance hear who was watching?" He looked quite hopeful.

"Not quite," Scorpius said. "I wasn't that lucky, and I would've already said so if I had heard it."

"Okay," Albus said, sighing. "Because if it's the Cannons then they don't really need to come back."

"Would you rather not play at all than play for the Cannons?" Scorpius wondered. 'You'd probably get traded after the first match to a much better team."

Albus snorted. "I don't know. I'd seriously have to think about that. I think it would be a little depressing if only the Cannons showed interest in me. Might as well be no one, really."

Scorpius laughed. "I couldn't agree more."

They walked into dinner, separating to take seats at their respective tables. Albus plopped down by Rose, taking off his cloak to reveal a lumpy red sweater with a golden snitch knitted on the front. Scorpius sat down next to Nick and across from Kirk, pulling some chicken toward him. They were relishing the win, trying not to get into a shouting match with the Ravenclaw team.

"Hey, Captain," Kirk said, raising a hand to high five Scorpius. "That is a win to celebrate."

"And a snitch catch to never mention again," Scorpius said.

"But you caught it, and that's what counts," Nick said.

-CD-

Albus was being an arse, and he knew it. Crashing the Slytherin celebration party was probably pretty low of him, but there was nothing else to do, and he somehow knew that Scorpius wouldn't mind.

"What are you doing here, Potter?" Scarlet demanded of him before he was even through the brick wall.

"Crashing," Albus said bluntly. "You can't keep a Potter away from what is sure to be a good party.'

"You have to cough up some alcohol money," she informed him. "There's a basket by the drink table."

"Will do," Albus said.

Scorpius was standing by the drink table when Albus got there, casually sipping out of a red cup.

"What are you doing here?" he wondered.

"I'm ashamed," Albus said. "Head Boy drinking… bad example you are."

Albus grabbed a cup and tossed a few galleons into the basket. That should cover him for the night.

"Yeah well, it's only bad if you get caught," Scorpius said. "And I very rarely get caught."

"Ah that makes two of us," Albus said.

"So what brings a Gryffindor to a Slytherin party?" Scorpius wondered.

"I can't resist a common room less boring than mine," Albus said. "That I happen to know the password to…"

Scorpius grinned at him. "Cheers."

'Cheers," Albus said. "My thought exactly."

"Help yourself to some of the Slytherin alcohol," Scorpius said. "I paid for a good chunk of it."

"Seriously being a bad role model," Albus said, taking a hefty drink from his cup.

"That is what I do," Scorpius said. "I'm on my third and it's not exactly gentle stuff."

"Eh, we're only young once," Albus said, laughing. "As long as no one gets too screwed up."

"It's rare," Scorpius said. "The alcohol usually runs out before then."

"And yet you've had three," Albus said.

"Well," Scorpius said. "When you buy some of it, you stash a little."

"I wouldn't know. I've never bought for Gryffindor," Albus said, laughing a little.

"Hey," Scorpius said. "As far as anyone knows, I stand here to make sure the little kids don't drink anything."

"Poor exposed first years," Albus said. "Culture shock."

Scorpius chuckled. "They'll survive. Didn't we all?"

"We did," Albus said, laughing and grabbing himself another cup. "I haven't partied well after this year. I popped in on the one after our match, and then went to bed. It was kind of nice, actually, to just go to sleep."

"Sleep," Scorpius said. "Sort of sounds good, doesn't it?'

Albus laughed. "Yep."

Scorpius took another cup, and in Albus' opinion, every sip he took brought him closer and closer to the edge of wasted. He was laughing more loudly and attempting to dance to the Weird Sisters music—Scarlet came over and told him to stop for the good of everyone around. But as the moments passed, Scorpius' speech began to slur, and Albus, who was getting a little tipsy himself, felt a little worried that Scorpius was going to end up vomiting all over the place. Maybe on Albus.

He turned away for a while, trying to reestablish some clear thinking. He was the sort of level of drunk where he was going to remember this all tomorrow, but he was not going to feel good about it at all. He was tipsy and a little whirled up.

Slytherin parties weren't bad. They were pretty similar to Gryffindor parties, just a little darker. That may have been the nature of the venue, the Slytherin common room. Slytherins partied rather like Gryffindors, dancing close. But their dances were a little less aggressive. They looked a bit more deadly, honestly. While the Gryffindor students were more prone to grinding and such behaviors, the dancing of the Slytherins was sinuous and almost snake-like. Albus snorted at the thought, unable to believe how the dancing styles reflected the house so well. Albus decided he preferred Slytherin dancing. It was still close and very… sexual. But certainly more sensual.

He scanned the crowd for someone to dance with, a lonely person without a partner. Most people were taken, or sucked into the crowd, or far too young for Albus and not dancing in the manner of the older students. The only other person without a partner, it seemed, was Scorpius who was bobbing on the edge of the crowd, finally having lapsed into the real Slytherin rhythm, away from the choppy dancing he had exhibited earlier. Albus sighed, leaning back against the drink table away, from Scorpius who was now behind him

He would just keep watching the dance. That was good enough.

"What are you doing?" he heard Scorpius demand behind him.

Albus turned to see the bad example of a head boy shouting in the face of both of his beaters, Scarlet and Nick. Nick had her pinned against the wall, a leg in between hers, one hand up her shirt, the other grabbing her breast from the front. They were making out in a way that wasn't quite acceptable for the eyes of first years.

"Leave us alone, Scorp," Scarlet said. "You're drunk."

"Can you just, keep your hands off of her?" Scorpius demanded, yanking at Nick's shoulder.

"Leave me alone," Nick said, elbowing Scorpius.

"Potter, a little help here?" Scarlet suggested.

"Huh?" Albus said.

"Give us a hand here!" Scarlet snapped.

"Scorpius," Albus said, grabbing his new friend's shoulder and pulling him away from Scarlet.

"No, let me yell at him," Scorpius said. "He shouldn't be doing this!"

"Calm down," Albus said, dragging him forcefully so that he could no longer see Scarlet and Nick. He pulled him down the hallway to his dormitory.

"He shouldn't be doing that!" Scorpius said, slurring all of his S's. "She's like my sister. How would you feel if Nick was doing that to your sister?'

"You just can't…" Albus said. "I would hate it, but you have to leave them alone. You're drunk."

"I'm drunk," Scorpius said. "So what? I have something to say."

"What?' Albus wondered.

"You're really attractive."


	16. Number One on Albus' List of Mistakes

_**A/N: Dear reviewers... this is for you. Because you asked so nicely/ordered me to update again today. However, I can't do this every time you ask- I'll run out of chapters. So this is my bonus chapter, in memory of the lovely season summer, who has so recently passed away. At least in this hemisphere. Enjoy!**_

**Chapter 16.**

**Number One on Albus' List of Mistakes **

Scorpius woke up to what felt like someone knocking on his temples with their fists. The taste in his mouth was a mix of alcohol and vomit, and he felt like the second was probably going to happen again soon. The clock next to him told him he'd missed breakfast, but he wasn't sure it was a good idea to add anything to his stomach anyway.

"Saved you some toast," Scarlet said. She was sitting on the edge of Kirk's bed, as if waiting for him to wake up.

"Ugh," he said, sitting up slowly. He was still in the jeans he'd put on after dinner, but he'd abandoned his shirt at some point.

"You were a little… out there last night," she said, holding out a piece of white toast. He accepted and shoved it back a little.

"How bad?" he asked. He couldn't remember much after Albus Potter showing up next to him.

"Well, first you tried to dismember Nick for fondling me," she said. "And Potter dragged you away. The next thing I knew, he was back in the common room saying you'd said something strange… but you were vomiting and he hates bodily fluid… But he did look after you a little bit, even though he himself was pretty drunk."

"What did I say?" he demanded, wishing she would talk a little more quietly.

"I don't know," she said. "You'll have to ask him."

"Ugh,' Scorpius said. "I should probably go do that before things get awkward for whatever reason. I don't remember much, honestly. Which is worrying as anything. I probably said something compromising."  
>Scorpius found a t-shirt, accepting his hair as rumpled. Scarlet watched him as he walked out of the dorm room. She exited behind him and went to go join Nick on the couch. Whatever their relationship was, it certainly just went public.<p>

He went to the library first. It was instinct, honestly, the place where he and Albus spent most of their friendship. Why Albus would be in the library on a Sunday was a question Scorpius should have asked himself. The only person he found there on such a day was Rose Weasley, pouring over an Ancient Ruins text.

"Where's your cousin, Weasley?" Scorpius asked.

"Which one? Albus?" Rose said, looking up at him.

"Yeah," Scorpius said.

"He's up in his dorm room," she said, sighing. "I think he's having a rough morning. I would've been up there with him if he hadn't long since kicked me out. I worry about him."

Scorpius frowned. "Okay… I feel like I need to say something to him. Clear up something from last night."

"Are you asking me for the password?" she asked.

"Sort of," he said, shrugging.

"Sort of?" Rose said. "There's no sort of about it. It's Nicolas Flamel."

"Thanks," Scorpius said.

"Just a warning, he had a girl up there last night," Rose said.

Scorpius swallowed. "Is she gone?"

"Yes," Rose said. "It was apparently a quickie."

Scorpius frowned. "Right."

Of course it was Natalia. Scorpius had no doubt about it without even asking. Albus had probably been drunk and easy prey for someone like Regis. He knew where the entrance to the Gryffindor common room was. It was part of being Head Boy, knowing the precise layout of Hogwarts. He spat the password to the portrait of the woman in the pink dress, and it swung open to let him clamber through the portrait hole.

No one really questioned why a Slytherin was walking right through the common room and up the stairs to the boys dormitory. He knocked first on the door labeled for the seventh years, and pushed it open before he got a reply.

Albus' bed was directly across the room, by the window. From where he was, the only thing Scorpius could spot was a mess of black hair poking out from under the sheets.

"Go away, Rose," Albus grumbled.

"It's not Rose," Scorpius replied.

Albus seemed to jump at that point, rolling over onto his back as Scorpius approached and pushing the sheet away a little.

"Malfoy…" Albus said, scrambling into a sitting position. The sheet fell, revealing Albus' chest, without a shirt. Defined abs included.

"Hey," Scorpius said, gulping and attempting to look away.

"What're you doing here?" Albus demanded, running his hand through his hair and rubbing his eyes.

"I just wanted to know what I said to you last night that was strange," Scorpius said.

"Oh…" Albus said, looking downward. "Um… Yeah. It was nothing."

"No tell me," Scorpius said, leaning against one of the posts of the four poster bed.

"You told me that I was very attractive," Albus said, clearing his throat.

"Oh," Scorpius said. "Well that must've been pretty awkward.' He cursed himself. This was not good. He had to cover quickly, obviously, or everything would go downhill in this slapshod friendship. He did not want to come out, and certainly not to Albus Potter.

"Well, you were very drunk, and I didn't know what to think about it," Albus said, shaking his head.

"Still awkward," Scorpius said. "Sorry for that. I'll just have you know I don't see you that way." He laughed. "I must've meant that I thought it was weird you didn't have a girlfriend or something like that."

"Yeah…" Albus said, looking up at him finally, hitting Scorpius with the full force of his emerald green eyes. "Yeah."

"Besides," Scorpius continued. "I heard you finally enjoyed Miss Regis last night. As much as you dislike her whorish ways, I do have to say, I think that deserves a high five. Nice going. I'm jealous…. She must've been pretty good—"

"I'd rather not talk about it," Albus said. And then he proceeded to talk about it. "She was decent. Not as good as she's cracked up to be."

"Oh," Scorpius said.

"So I'll just go ahead and add that as number one of the mistakes that I've made this year," Albus said. "And I'll go back to sleep."

"Why are you sleeping?" Scorpius wondered as Albus rolled back onto his stomach and wrapped his arms around his pillow. He closed his eyes.

"I like to sleep for the same reasons I can never sleep," Albus said. "I'd rather lie in bed all day and… Stew. James calls it stewing. He'd write a letter to Mum if he caught me stewing. But James isn't here."

"All right then," Scorpius said. "Good night."

-CD-

Albus groaned as Scorpius shut the door behind him. He had to admit it was pretty bloody awkward when a guy who, not twelve hours prior, called him "very attractive," walked into his room and had a conversation with him when he had absolutely nothing on but a sheet. Not even a scrap.

Natalia had abandoned him in the middle of the night. He was too drunk to find clothes. His dormmates came in some time after that, giving him hell for not letting them come to bed while he was fucking her.

He couldn't even remember it that much. She had plunged her hand down his jeans as soon as she saw him, after he'd made sure Scorpius was passed out in bed, not on the floor. Her hands got him aroused enough, and the alcohol got him in the mood, even though she wasn't remotely attractive.

And now he had Rose judging him, Scorpius making everything awkward…

He supposed he believed him. He didn't play for that team, Albus knew that well enough. Scorpius was… Scorpius Malfoy. Obviously, he was straight. Just drunk.

But Albus was now in a bad mood and he wanted to sleep. He'd done something very, very dumb. Sleeping with Natalia was going to cause way more trouble than he needed, especially since Albus wasn't at all interested in her.

He also had been picturing someone else when he was having sex, which was a lot harder than it sounded… It had been a… man.

He wanted to strangle himself. In a nice way. If that was possible. He just didn't want anyone thinking him suicidal.

There were just so many stupid things he did and thought. He wanted to rip out the part of his brain that thought things like that.

He groaned loudly and pressed his face into his pillow.

There were a million other things he could be doing to try and fix this. Staying in bed all day made it worse. It made him think about things, which was the worst way to go. It would be better to take his mind off of them…

Take a few laps around the Quidditch pitch, maybe, then take a nice hot shower in the locker rooms.

He sprung out of bed at that thought, scrambling around for clothes and pulling them on He bundled up enough to fly around the pitch a few times.

It was easy to avoid people with the cloak. He thanked Merlin and his father and brother for it every single day. In that way, he made it down to the pitch without being spotted by Natalia or Rose, both of whom would just bother him at this point. Natalia would be… Natalia. And Rose would be… Rose. And he didn't want to deal with either of those. It was better if he was alone.

There was a thin dusting of snow over the grounds, which reminded Albus of a powdered pastry. Pitch grass peeked up at him as he swung one leg over his Diamond Sixty. He took off quickly, shooting upward into the sky.

The icy cold November air ripped at his face, and he felt the tingles of blood rushing to his cheeks and nose.

It was better up here, he had decided long ago. When he was in the sky, nothing could bother him. He seemed to leave all thoughts of life and sex and gay or straight, down on the pitch. Up in the air, it didn't matter if you liked one or the other, and which that was. What mattered was if you played well, if you flew well… Other people focused on that up there, and that meant Albus could too.

He was Just Albus. Not Albus Potter. Just Albus. He was a flier, he was a seeker. If he abandoned everything else, the last name, the family, the friends, the life, he would still be the seeker he was. It was the one thing he truly worked for, the one thing he could really call his own. No one had born in him this uncanny ability. His father had been good, but not this good. His mother had been a chaser. He had the set that was needed, but his own work was what really got him there. It was the one thing Albus was always sure about, it was the one thing he, without a doubt, needed.

Flying, he forgot that lurch in his stomach when Scorpius had told him he was attractive. It was a lurch of hope, spurred by the desperate possibility that someone else might be as lost and screwed up as he was… Only to be disappointed.

Albus wasn't a talker, but he wanted someone to talk to. Someone who knew exactly what was going on with him, who felt the same way.

But there were very few guys at Hogwarts for whom this sort of thing was a question. Albus knew already that he was in a minority.

It was a very good thing that he had long since decided that if you wanted to be anything in life, it was all done with the mind. If you told yourself you were the best Quidditch player in England, then you could be. If you told yourself you would get top marks on the exam, you would.

If you told yourself you were straight, you were straight.

_A Sneak Peek at Chapter 17: "I'm going to kill you one of these days, Scarlet, and I'm not actually going to regret it." _


	17. Albus Potter's Reverse Mode

**_A/N: Bear with me all. I'm getting used to writing things from the POV of a gay boy, which sort of... is difficult for me. So if Scorp's part of this chapter isn't that great, I apologize and promise it's certainly developing in the future. _**

**Chapter 17.**

**Albus Potter's Reverse Mode**

Scorpius was embarrassed. He didn't know how else to put it. His little cover for that slip up had been less the convincing in his own opinion, and as soon as he said it, he felt sick to his stomach. Albus had to know. He was a smart person. He could see through most things like that, Scorpius was certain.

So, with his throbbing headache, Scorpius wanted to smack himself. He'd probably just ruined a perfectly decent friendship. Albus had stepped in and taken the place Scorpius usually took for Scarlet, making sure Scorpius didn't get himself into a sorry state with all of the alcohol, and made sure he didn't choke on his own vomit—as much as he apparently hated bodily fluids. Usually, Scorpius was that to Scarlet, picking her up off the bathroom floor when she finally conked out, and carrying her to bed. He doubted Albus had carried him to bed—probably levitated him up there.

If anything, it had made him a little more attracted to Albus, and that was not a good thing.

He dropped into a chair in the library, sitting by the window, able to see all the way down to the Quidditch pitch. Shooting around the stands was a dark dot, but even from far away, Scorpius knew who it was. He looked away, selecting a book to entertain himself.

Life would've been a lot easier if he was straight. He knew that pretty damn well. Then he could be friends with Albus without life being awkward.

Had he been straight, he could refrain from looking up and watching the boy fly around the pitch. He looked good. And that was definitely a bad thing.

Scorpius groaned. It turned him on so much. How did he make it through a Quidditch match without these feelings? He'd watched Albus play an entire game and didn't feel anything. Now, he was watching him simply fly around the pitch, from much farther away, and if he didn't stop watching soon, he was going to have a situation on his hands.

It was better to leave now before he had to walk through all the halls of Hogwarts with a visible bulge in the front of his jeans. He got up and walked out of the library quickly, hurrying back to the Slytherin common room. He couldn't shake the image of Albus Potter, which, in his head, had become up close and more like he was watching the game from last weekend

His pants were feeling awfully tight by the time he got into his dormitory, locking the door behind him and sealing it so that he wouldn't be interrupted. He had long since gotten over the awkward feeling of wanking off to the image of a bloke. This was slightly different, however, as it was his friend, but he just couldn't help himself.

He unbuttoned his jeans and pulled down the zip, sliding them down and off—it was easier, less of a mess later. He seized his own length through the fly of his boxers, imagining it was Albus' hand instead of his own. For someone who never actually had any sexual experience, Scorpius was very good at imagining. It was almost necessary.

He groaned, tugging and twisting. He could picture it in his head: Albus kissing at his neck, his hand wrapped around Scorpius' cock… His own erection… Scorpius groaned again.

Eventually, he came all over his own hand, soiling his sheets and his boxers, as well as his t-shirt. He sighed, flopping onto his back, content. Fumbling for his jeans, he found his wand in the back pocket, using it to clean himself and the area around him up.

In some ways, he felt a bit awkward. Albus was his friend. But in other ways, he was a teenage boy. Some things were just necessary, and Albus was a perfect image for Scorpius. He didn't feel anything other than attraction for him, and yeah, it was going to be hard to look him in the face for a few days, but he just had to do it.

He pulled his jeans back on and changed his shirt, heading back out into the Slytherin common room.

Scarlet looked up from where she was sitting on one of the couches.

"Hey," she said.

"Hey,' he replied, flopping next to her. He had to admit he felt good. He was in a very good mood at this point.

"Why so grinny?" she asked, laughing a little.

"Nothing," he said.

"Did you have a date with your hand then?" she said, whispering.

"Scarlet!" he said.

"I'm sorry," she said. "You just get that face every time you do that."

"It bothers me that you know that," he said.

"Look, Scorp, everybody does it," she said. "Most guys at least. Some girls. A lot of girls. Me for one."

"That was way more information than I needed…" Scorpius grumbled.

"I'm sorry," she said, shrugging. "I'm just saying."

"Ugh," he said.

"Who's on your mind then, Scorp?" she asked.

"No one," he said, closing his eyes and leaning back.

"Well obviously someone," she said. He could practically hear her grinning. He didn't need to open his eyes to see it.

"Shut up," he said.

"You're so mean," she said. "it was a certain Mr. Potter, wasn't it?"

"I'm going to kill you one of these days Scarlet, and I'm not actually going to regret it," he said.

"Yes you will," she said. "You'll miss me terribly."

-CD-

Natalia was relentless, Albus soon discovered. She apparently enjoyed herself in what Albus was calling "the biggest mistake of my life/the sex where I did nothing but picture a bloke." Or maybe she just liked to tell the school that she was fooling around with Albus Potter. He hoped he was getting rave reviews.

"You shouldn't have shagged her," Rose said, "if you didn't want her panting after you." They were hiding out in a secret passageway together, after dinner.

"I just can't do this," Albus said, groaning. "I didn't even want to shag her. I was drunk. I can't make coherent decisions when I'm drunk."

"Then maybe you shouldn't have been drunk," Rose said.

"Well we can't erase time, now can we?" he said, rolling his eyes. "And obviously, no one time turned back to stop me, because it's done now."

"Well sorry," she said. "You're awfully grumpy lately, Albus. I'm worried about you."

"There's nothing to worry about," he said.

"With you, there's pretty much always something to worry about," she said.

"Thanks," he said, rolling his eyes. "I'm fine, Rose."

"You should just talk to me, Al," she said. "Talking works, you know."

"No, I don't know," he said. "I've tried the whole 'talking' thing. It's called all of those damn healers that my mum and dad took me to. Didn't help."

"Don't tell me it didn't help," she said. "You were a lot happier after you talked to them."

"They were annoying," Albus said. "They thought they could fix me with a powerful Cheering Charm. They thought they could figure me out in two words. More power to them."

"Oh, yes," she said. "You are a complex being, Albus Severus." Rose rolled her eyes at that.

"Well, I'm just saying, my problems—though I still contest that I truly have all of the problems you and my parents seem to think I have—can't be cured by having a polite conversation with a person I don't even know." He crossed his arms, glaring at her.

"Look Al," she said. "You have a lot of issues, or had a lot of issues. Many of them are better. But you still scare the hell out of me. And your parents. And Lily and James. And the whole family."

"I don't want to scare people," Albus said. "I'm fine."

She looked at him, attempting to read his face. "I feel like this year it's worse. With Natalia."

"Why?" he said. "Who cares about her?"

"Albus," she said. "That's exactly it. You don't care about her, and then you shag her, and _then _you are down on yourself for shagging her _because _you don't care about her."

"Why would anyone care about her?" he demanded. "She's a whore."

"_Albus!" _Rose said, swatting his leg.

"I blame her for this," he grumbled.

"Then why are you giving yourself such a hard time about it?" she demanded.

"I'm most mad about it because I'm not even attracted her to her and I want to be attracted to her!" Albus said.

Rose raised an eyebrow. "Why would you want to be attracted to a quote-on-quote 'whore?'"

"Because she's supposed to be attractive," Albus said.

"Well I think it's a good thing you're not attracted to her," Rose said firmly. "Better you be attracted to more… powerful, intelligent, not self-deprecating women."

She didn't know the half of it.

"Right," Albus said, leaning back against the wall of the passageway.

"What?" she said.

'What, what?" he said. "There's nothing to 'what?' about."

"There's more to what you're saying," she said. "What else is there, Albus?"

"Nothing," he said, closing his eyes.

"Don't sigh," she said, whining. "Please don't sigh."

"Merlin, Rose," he said. "What do you think I'm going to do? Off myself or something?"

"No," she said. "No, obviously not… but I just… you're my best friend, Albus."

He put an arm around her. "Don't worry about me, Rosie."

"It's impossible," she said. "I will worry about you until the day you die."

"You sound like my mum," he said. "Look, what can I do to convince you that I'm fine?"

"You might start smiling every once in a while- And not just on the Quidditch pitch," she added, seeing that he was about to open his mouth. He let out a puff of air instead of the words he was going to say.

"I smile," he said. "Sometimes."

"Never," she corrected. "Not this whole school year so far."

"It's only November!" he protested.

"So that was September, October and most of November spent without smiling?" Rose said. 'Smiling is good for you. For your face muscles."  
>"Do you remember what your mum used to say to us?" Albus wondered. "That it takes more muscles to frown than to smile?"<p>

"Yes…" she said.

"Well if I'm not smiling I'm very likely frowning. So I'm certainly exercising my face muscles," he said.

"You shouldn't be frowning," she said. "Why, why, why, won't you tell me what's wrong?"

He looked down at her. "There are a million things wrong with me, Rose."

"Ha, so you admit it!" she said, glaring at him heatedly.

"Just not as many as are wrong with you, you psychopath," he said, rolling his eyes. "Nothing's wrong. If I have to say it one more time, I will throw myself off a tower, and then you'll have nobody to blame but yourself. Then how would you feel?"

"Albus…" she groaned, complaining at him.

He looked at her strictly. "I'm fine. You'd be the first to know otherwise, Rosie."

"But the problem is," she said, "you'll wait forever to tell me. I would be the first to know, but it would be long after I needed to know."

"Nothing's wrong," he said.

"Albus, tell me right now, are you happier than you have been?" she asked.

"I'm happier than I was in fifth year," he said.

"Yeah, well what about sixth year?" she asked.

"This year's worse," he admitted.

"So we're going backwards," she said. "Wonderful."

"_We're _not going anywhere," he said. "_I'm _going, as you say, 'backwards.' But I'm going alone, and I've got it under control."

"But that's the point," she said. "You don't have to go alone, Albus."


	18. Red

**Chapter 18.**

**Red. The Color of Embarrassment. And Desire. **

"Snow," Albus said, looking out the window.

"Really?" Scorpius said. "I hadn't realized."

He awoke this morning to a fine chill in the air of the dormitory. When he looked out the window, he was pleased to see the first real snowfall had finally made its way to Hogwarts. Too long overdue, in his eyes.

Scorpius was quite finicky about his definitions of snowfall. Snowfall did not mean a few floating flakes of somewhat-frozen rain that instantly melted when they touched the ground, nor did it mean the confectioner's sugar dusting that had come prior. In his eyes, a snowfall meant that the snow remained for a large space of time, and judging by the several inch thick blanket that now sat as a heavy blanket over the entirety of the grounds, it had started snowing somewhere in the middle of the night and not stopped since.

The conditions were horrible, he had to admit. It was hard to see out the window. In fact, it was more than a snowfall—it was a blizzard. Vaguely, he could see the dark outlines of the Forbidden Forest, and the Greenhouses lined up in neat little rows.

"I'm just saying," Albus protested. "I love snow."

"You've mentioned," Scorpius said. He watched Albus watch the flakes shoot downward with his unblinking green eyes. For someone who loved snow, he certainly did not light up at the sight of it.

"Yeah well you love it too," Albus said.

They were, oddly enough, in the library. Scorpius was under the impression that Albus had not spent as much time in the library as he did with Scorpius in all six other years put together. And it was still only November. Scorpius laughed at the fact a little.

The awkwardness had quickly faded since Scorpius' slip-up at the Slytherin celebratory party, and of course, the awkward—as Scarlet would say—"date with his hand" that had followed. He could look Albus in the eye, and he certainly found that to be a plus. He just had to keep his staring to himself and everything would be just fine, and certainly not awkward.

Unless Natalia dropped by, but Albus was getting very talented at avoiding her, usually while muttering things about regular patterns of movement. It just seemed that Natalia never came to the library. For some reason, Scorpius wasn't all that surprised.

"I would go out there," Albus said. "Into the storm. But I'm not crazy."

"Yeah, that wouldn't be smart," Scorpius said.

"Tomorrow," Albus said. "When the weather dies down a bit and it's just snow."

"It's around the time of year when snowball fights start, and people build snowmen," Scorpius commented.

"What? You mean they don't do that in July?" Albus said, rolling his eyes at him.

Scorpius laughed. Most of their friendship was making fun of each other for stupid comments. Why, he wasn't quite sure. He figured it had come from the old rivalry between them. They couldn't help but be cruel to each other.

"I'm tired," Albus complained, resting his forehead against the window.

"From my experience," Scorpius said, yawning and waving one of the books they were using back to the shelf. "From my experience, you're always tired."

"Good point," Albus said. "I want Christmas."

"Do you all go home for Christmas?" Scorpius wondered.

"Yup," Albus said. "It's a big Weasley and Potter roaring party with about twenty other people we're not exactly related to…"

"I go home too," Scorpius said. "I must say our Christmas gathering sounds minuscule in comparison. We sometimes get together with my grandparents Greengrass, my Aunt Daphne and my cousin, who, because they live in France, goes to Beauxbatons… After my father's father died, my grandmother sprung forth and moved to Spain… she sometimes comes around. It's usually a small affair."

"I sometimes wish mine was small affair," Albus said. "I would list all my cousins, but I would definitely forget one… and the aunts and uncles and godsons and family friends and… family friends' relatives…"

"And where do you cram all of these Weasleys and friends?" Scorpius wondered. He wasn't quite sure if there was a county in England large enough to hold all of them

"At my grandparents' house," Albus said.

"Merlin," Scorpius said.

"Yeah, it's pretty packed," Albus said. "They're all very nosy, too, Weasleys. It must be in the blood. That's the only reason I'd like to get away from them. But I love all of them. Most of them."

"Most of them?" Scorpius repeated, laughing. "Yeah, don't we all have that one relative?"

Albus laughed too. "In my family, they've all been that one relative at least once. Including Rose."

"You two are pretty close?" Scorpius questioned, even though he knew the answer.

"Yeah," Albus said. "Joined at the hip from the day she was born. And I don't say the day _we _were born, because we weren't born in the same month, let alone the same day. I'm three months older than her. Speaking of which, I need to send my mum a birthday and Christmas wish list."

"When's your birthday?" Scorpius wondered.

"December eighth," Albus said, grinning. "My favorite time of year."

"I catch the tail end of the winter months with mine," Scorpius said. 'March fourth."

"Blimey, I have a good few months on you too," Albus said, chuckling. "I always feel so old."

Scorpius looked at him. It was almost odd to think of Albus being older than he was. Scorpius wouldn't say that he himself was more mature, or anything of the sort, it just seemed as if he might be older. He supposed that in the long run, four months didn't actually make that much of a difference. He just felt bigger than Albus—and he was. Albus was more of a seeker's build than Scorpius could ever dream of being.

And Scorpius found that very attractive.

-CD-

"Why are we passing a quaffle if we're both seekers?" Scorpius demanded of Albus.

"Because I stole it, not a snitch," Albus said, tossing the red ball back at Scorpius. He caught it and tossed it back. "Though I have stolen a few snitches before… They don't use them again anyway… I stopped because I kept taking the home, and they would fly around my room and the house and the cat would chase after them. It annoyed my mum."

The two of them were sitting in a vacant classroom, sick of studying, and passing a quaffle Albus had nicked from the Quidditch storeroom.

"Hey," the door to the classroom swung open and Scarlet came in, loudly.

"Hey," Scorpius said, throwing the quaffle back at Albus.

'What are you two doing?" Scarlet asked, springing up onto a desk next to the one where Scorpius was sitting. Albus didn't really know Scarlet, even though they'd be in classes together since first year. She seemed nice, and certainly quite funny, but she was also a very talented beater, responsible for putting one of Albus' chasers in the hospital wing fifth year, with a fractured skull.

"Hanging out," Scorpius said.

"Ah yes," Scarlet said. "The newly fostered friendship. How's the Quidditch team, Potter?"

"Better than yours," Albus replied, shooting the quaffle back at Scorpius, who glared at him.

"So he says," Scorpius said, rolling his eyes.

"Yeah, we'll see about that," Scarlet said.

"I suppose we will," Albus said, laughing a little.

"What are you doing here?" Scorpius asked his friend.

"I'm just hanging out too," she said. "Nick is in dire need of practicing for Charms, and I was bored watching him."

"Are you going out with Nick?" Albus wondered, surprised.

"It's more of a friendly relationship involving a lot of sex," Scarlet said. She seemed completely candid and not at all embarrassed.

"Oh," Albus said.

"Isn't that what you have with Natalia?" she asked, starting to braid her hair. If she wasn't in Slytherin, she could pass for a Weasley relative with hair that color.

"I don't have anything with Natalia," Albus replied. "She's annoying."

"Really?" Scarlet said. "I had no idea." She rolled her eyes. "She's probably the most grating individual in Hogwarts."

"Tell me about it," Albus said. "And you're not the one she wants to shag."

"Leech then?" Scarlet said. "Too bad."

"Not really," Albus said. "She's just annoying as hell."

"Oh it looks like we're having a party in here!" Rose said, bursting into the room.

"Oh yes," Albus said. "Why don't you come in Rose? Thanks for asking if you were invited."

Rose hopped up on top of a desk too. "What are we talking about?"

"Fuck buddies, apparently," Scorpius said.

"Huh?" Rose said. "Okay… that's a little weird."

"Care to share about yours?" Scarlet asked. "We have mine and Albus's…"

"Albus? Are we talking about Natalia?" Rose wondered.

"I wish we weren't," Albus said, putting his face in his palm. He felt his ears turn red.

"I don't really have one," Rose said. "Not yet."

"Yet?" Albus said. "Yeah, you wouldn't do that Rosie."

"I have my eyes on someone," Rose said, crossing her arms.

"Who?" Albus demanded.

"Shut up," Rose said. "Not everyone in the world needs to know, Albus."

"Who am I going to tell?" Scorpius demanded.

"_Him," _Rose said.

"Oh Merlin," Sclaret said. "What are we? First years? Is it a crush Rose? You might as well just come out with it. Make a move, take a chance…"

"Ugh," Rose said. And then she muttered some unintelligible under her breath.

"What was that?" Albus asked.

"Lysander," she murmured more loudly.

"Oh my!" Scarlet said. "Oh my, oh my…"

"Oh shut up, please," Rose begged. "It's embarrassing enough as it is…"

"But it's cute!" Scarlet insisted.

"It's not cute," Rose said. "Ugh. Now it's Scorpius' turn. Who are you shagging? Or dreaming about shagging?"

It was impossible not to notice the blush that flooded into Scorpius' otherwise pale cheeks.

"No one really," Scorpius said.

"Oh come on, if we're gossiping, you have to contribute," Rose said. "They forced me."

"I don't like anyone," Scorpius grumbled.

"Yeah, that's a lie," Rose said. "Come on, it can't be that bad."

"Stop, Rose," Scarlet said.

"Why?" Rose demanded. "You forced me to tell you who I like, why doesn't he have to share?"

Scorpius looked up. "I don't feel like it."

"Well that's wonderful," Rose said, rolling her eyes.

"Just stop," Albus said. This conversation was turning awkward. Obviously, he preferred it when they were all getting along. Scorpius and Scarlet were good people. They were nice. He didn't want his cousin to mess up their growing friendship.

The blood gradually drained back out of Scorpius' face.

"Thanks," he muttered to Albus. Rose continued to stew from her desk.

"I don't see what the big deal is," she said.

"Well you're pretty ignorant sometimes," Albus said, patting her on the shoulder.

She rolled her eyes at him. "Yeah. Thanks."

Scorpius cleared his throat. "So…"

"So, let's talk more about me," Scarlet said. "You know I love talking about myself…"

The tension was still there. Albus knew there was something incredibly awkward about who Scorpius was interested in. He obviously was interested in someone. Albus figured it was Rose that he was, as Scarlet put it, "shagging or dreaming about shagging." It made sense. Their arguing and competition had probably led to attraction. That sort of thing happened.

Albus supposed, if things didn't work for Rose and Lysander, he wouldn't be too opposed to something between Rose and Scorpius. Scorpius was a good bloke. He and Rose would do fine, if he didn't kill her. He would have to give Scorpius a little advice on that though… Rose was an interesting woman to work with.

'Let's get December going," Scarlet said. "Merlin the years fly by. We're going to be out in the real world before you know it…"

"And what are we going to do?" Rose asked, shaking her head. "It should be interesting."

"We're all getting so old," Scarlet complained. "I remember when we were first years and everything was pretty simple, and it was amazing… and now we're old. And nothing's simple. But we have grown up."


	19. Birthday Quidditch

**Chapter 19.**

**Birthday Quidditch**

Albus Potter's eighteenth birthday was perhaps a day he would remember forever. In many ways, it took a lifetime. In many others, it was gone before he knew it. It was enjoyable, yet very traumatizing all the same.

He woke early, unable to sleep in. The room around him was cold, ultimately causing him to spend a half an hour easing himself out from underneath the warm bedding and onto the chilly stone floor. Sun sparkled through the window, a chink lighting the floor, but not quite warming it. Ignoring the pile of presents at the foot of his bed, Albus tiptoed to the window, his toes protesting the cold underneath them.

It was a beautiful December day. The entirety of the Hogwarts grounds was covered with a thick, undisturbed blanket of snow. The lawn sparkled in the sunlight, like a diamond with a million facets. It was a cloudless day, with a blue sky so pale it almost looked white. His breath fogged up the window of the glass. The day was picture-perfect, but the air was ice cold. Perhaps the coldest of the year, Albus determined. The air was undoubtedly sharp, cutting into the skin, despite the lack of wind.

At least, he assumed so. It was impossible to tell without going out there. Because it was a Sunday, he imagined most of Hogwarts would storm out onto the lawn at some point for a snowball fight and some fresh air. Whether they would stay out long in such a chill was another question altogether.

He turned back to his bed, then, to the awaiting presents. Without even taking off the paper, he knew most of it would be Quidditch related. His family and friends knew what he liked.

On top of the pile was a long letter from his mum and dad. It was the usual parent stuff that he and James got every year at Hogwarts. Lily never received such lengthy letters, being born in the middle of the summer. James and Albus were October and December birthdays, which meant that their parents had to express their love from afar. The letter was packed full of well-wishes and words of how proud they were of him and whatnot. All of the usual. Albus probably could've given a general summary before even reading it. It was nice all the same though. He knew they cared and loved him a lot, but sometimes it was good to be reminded.

The first present he opened was from Rose, a guide to the entire 2024-2025 British and Irish Quidditch League season. It had a guide to every starter player and each of their statistics. The sort of thing that Albus was very fond of, and Rose knew that. The rest of the presents were similarly related to Quidditch, and it was a good haul, he had to say.

By the time he was done unwrapping his presents, the rest of his roommates had woken up and given him their happy birthday wishes. He was very happy. He always was on his birthday. There was just something about being older that lightened his mood.

He showered and dressed, heading down to breakfast and a nice day in the warmth of Hogwarts, or maybe the outer chill of the biting winter day.

"Happy birthday!" Rose and Lily, and all of the other cousins chorused in unison when he reached the breakfast table.

"Thanks," Albus said, flopping down in a seat next to Rose. "I like being old."

"Eighteen," Lily said. "You make me feel like a kid."

"You are a kid," Albus assured her. He reached for some toast and waved his wand to butter it while he poured coffee with his own hands and piled bacon onto his plate.

"Happy birthday, oh captain sir," Owen said, punching him in the shoulder, even though he had already said the wishes back in the dormitory.

"Thanks," Albus said, nodding and starting to eat.

When they finished, he left the Great Hall with Rose and Lily.

"Happy birthday," Scorpius wished him, appearing at his shoulder. "Fancy a game of pick up birthday winter Quidditch?"

"We'll freeze," Albus said. "But that makes it that much better. I'm in. See if you can find some others to play."

"I'll play," Lily said.

"All right," Scorpius said. 'Scarlet and Nick want to play. Are you in Rose?"

"No," Rose said. "Too cold for me."

"You make your team, Potter, and I'll make mine," Scorpius said. "Limit of three Slytherins on my team and three Gryffindors on yours. Deal?"  
>"Deal," Albus said.<p>

He hurried off with Lily to find more people to play. They enlisted Fred to play, and then Albus got Lysander on his team, playing keeper, though Lorcan had been stolen by Scorpius to play chaser before Albus could get to him. He added on Wadsworth though, as well as Tessa from the Slytherin team and one of the Hufflepuff chasers to complete the team. It was a pretty decent team, to say the least.

Everyone bundled up tightly in robes and cloaks, Weasleys and relatives pulling several sweaters over their heads. Albus didn't wear a hat, or gloves, knowing his ears and fingers would become ice cubes, but he didn't really care. He liked the nip of the cold.

Down on the pitch, the teams faced off, laughing and casting warming charms in their hats and boots and robes. Everyone was in high spirits, and the competition, though determined, was still very friendly.

"You're going down, Malfoy," Albus assured the Slytherin as the latter pulled a silver hat over his blonde head, smashing down his hair.

Scorpius grinned. "Says you."

Albus rubbed his hands together. He could still catch a snitch with frozen fingers. Besides, he had to give Scorpius a little bit of an advantage.

"I'll throw the quaffle straight up from the ground," Albus said. "And release the bludgers and snitch, and then Scorpius and I will take off."

Scorpius mounted his broom as Albus pulled the quaffle out of the ball crate. He heaved it into the air and with a wave of his wand, released the snitch and bludgers, kicking off from the ground. The came swirled around him, a bunch of tightly bundled Hogwarts students shooting around over the snow. If Rose had been there, she would have been warning all of them about frostbite and hypothermia. But Albus was nice and toasty.

He watched the players beneath him for a moment, instead of seeking the snitch. His team was wearing a band of red around their arms, while Scorpius' team wore gray. Lily had taken control of chasing, shooting off toward the Hufflepuff keeper, Mila.

"Might want to pay attention, Potter," Scorpius said, laughing and hovering a few feet away.

"I could catch the snitch with my eyes closed," Albus informed him.

"Right, get on that," Scorpius said.

"I will," Albus said, shooting off across the pitch.

This was Albus' game. It was in Albus' weather. Frostbitten Quidditch was perhaps his ideal. The air smelled so fresh and clean. He was just happy to be out there playing. It was impossible to keep the grin off of his face, something he'd not had much trouble with in last couple of months.

He floated above the game, the wind nipping at his face. He watched Lily shoot and score over and over again, and grin pulled up at the corners of his mouth. They were going to win whether he caught the snitch or not.

But Scorpius wasn't going to catch the snitch before him. He couldn't let that happen. It would be a big blow to the established status quo of their new friendship. It was a silent acceptance, he knew, that he was the better Quidditch player. They teased each other incessantly about Quidditch, but he knew that Scorpius knew he was good. Scorpius was the brain and Albus was the Quidditch star. It was an agreement they had made.

"Looks like my team is doing pretty well…' Albus commented. Scarlet hit a bludger at him, forcing him to do a rapid sloth grip roll in order to avoid it.

He shot off toward the goal hoops, doing rapid laps of the pitch in his attempt to find the snitch. At the moment, he was certainly the fastest person on the pitch. Speed was everything, for Chasers and Seekers.

He saw the snitch not long after Lily had scored his team's tenth goal. Nick and Scarlet were hurriedly, at that point, aiming more bludgers at her than any other member of Albus' team. She was dodging very well, with not even a slight bruise or a smack to the back or something.

The snitch, however, was hovering, content to rest in its floating position. Its wings fluttered delicately, invisible, as it waited by the top flag of the Ravenclaw stands. He shot after it, leaning forward on his broom so far his chest was pressed flat against the expertly polished handle.

Scorpius was on to him instantly. The Slytherin practically mimicked his pose, urging his broom to shoot after Albus' and toward the snitch. Albus wondered if he actually saw it yet, and wished he could feint at this point. The approach just wasn't right for it. He stretched his somewhat frozen hand out in front of him, feeling Scorpius close the gap between their broomsticks.

Albus was just different when he was Seeking. He stopped paying attention to his fingers, and their state in the cold. His brain stopped talking to him, and he wasn't aware of the others around him. Scorpius was close, but within seconds, Albus forgot he was there at all. It was just him and the glimmering golden snitch. His fingers were ready, tingling. It may have been the cold, or the sense of a catch, but they were intent.

His fingers closed around the snitch just as Scorpius began to inch up on his side. Grinning, Albus pulled his broom to an abrupt halt, waving his arm in the air. Most of the game had known it was happening, the two Seekers shooting off in one direction. A sure sign that the Golden Snitch had been spotted.

"Look at that," Albus mused slightly, letting the golden ball rest in his bare palm. He looked up at Scorpius. "I win."

Scorpius laughed. "Congrats, Potter."

"I'm just faster than you are, I suppose," Albus said smugly, taking his moment to gloat. A very immodest grin had taken over his features. During the whole match, he had not thought for once that he wouldn't catch the snitch, but it couldn't stop him from taking a shocking amount of pride and pleasure in it. In fact, most of his life, Albus had been dancing dangerously along the thin line drawn between those that were happy to win and those that rubbed their win in the faces of others.

Despite his loss, Scorpius was grinning at him, his face flushed from the cold, eyes shining silver in the bright sunlight. Albus grinned back.

"Good catch," Scorpius said.

Albus admired the snitch for a moment more, his eyes flickering between Scorpius' face and the golden ball in his palm. Scorpius, his rival, looked genuinely pleased for him. It was shocking. Somewhat unnerving, and a little… intense.

"Thanks," he said. His volume dropped considerably, and he cleared his throat.

The pair was silent for a moment, and awkwardly so.

"I don't know about you," Albus said. "But I'm… freezing. I could do with some hot chocolate. We could go down to the kitchens. They know me well there."

"All right," Scorpius said, nodding. He cleared his throat awkwardly too. "I could do with some too."

"I'll probably grab a shower… meet in fifteen then?" Albus said.

"Sure," Scorpius said.

"Hey, captains!" Lily called loudly. "Are you just going to sit there and gab about whatever or are we going to go in and defrost our arses? Albus' team won. My team won. Let's go inside."


	20. Truth over Cocoa

**_A/N: In a shocking turn of events I was Sorted into Slytherin on Pottermore... huh. So was my brother. We don't have a single friend between either of us who is in Gryffindor. We think this says something about our choice of friends. _**

**Chapter 20**

**Truth over Cocoa**

Scorpius was in the mood for some good hot chocolate. After a warm quick shower, he was meeting Albus right outside the entrance to the kitchens. He waited alone, hands in his pockets, whistling about nothing in particular.

It had been a good Quidditch match. The chasers had been neck and neck quite a bit of the time, but Lily Potter managed to keep Albus' team a good few points ahead. Frozen Quidditch was a bit miserable for some people, but true lovers of the game couldn't resist. Even Scorpius couldn't deny that he felt the nip of the wind on his neck and hands as he played. Albus, on the other hand, said nothing about the chill until the game was over. And even then, his face didn't seem flush from the cold, but more from the win itself.

Another whistling tune alerted him to the approach of his friend.

"Hey," he said as Albus came into view, changed into a pair of worn through jeans and a chunky Weasley sweater, scarlet with a golden snitch on the front. His hair was frazzled, a little damp from the shower, and Scorpius couldn't deny that he looked as if he'd just rolled right out of bed.

Scorpius cleared his throat, urging the odd feeling from the pit of his stomach away so it didn't settle any farther south and make their meeting a little awkward.

"Hello," Albus said, reaching out to tickle the pear in the giant fruit bowl. The portrait revealed the entrance to the kitchens, and the boys filed in to greet the many awaiting house-elves.

"Hello Albus Potter, sir!" one of the elves said, scurrying up to Albus, beaming. "Oh and Scorpius Malfoy sir! How good it is for Tobi to see yous, sirs! Can Tobi get any thing for yous, sirs? We elves are happy to serve such great wizards, sirs."

"Hi, Tobi," Albus said. "We'd just like some hot chocolate and some food. Whatever you've got lying around, no worries."

"Tobi will get it for you, Albus Potter sir!" the elf said, bouncing away as other elves brought over chairs for Albus and Scorpius by the fire.

"The elves like you," Scorpius said, laughing a little.

"I suppose so," Albus said, chuckling too. "I come in here a lot. The times I skip dinner, I mean. Because I don't feel like going. Sometimes." He garbled up the sentence, and Scorpius could see, as his eyes darted toward the fire, and to his lap, and certainly not at Scorpius, that he wasn't comfortable sharing what he'd just rapidly let on out.

Scorpius nodded, looking of at Albus. Potter was staring into the fire, his green eyes turning oddly gold as the light glinted in them.

"I can't believe first term is already almost over," Albus commented as the elves brought them food. The change of subject relieved some of the tension that had settled on both of their shoulders. It weighed heavy, but it could let up at least somewhat. Their friendship, honestly, was very rarely tension free. At least for Scorpius. Feelings of weird attraction plagued him, making it a toxic environment for stress-free conversation. Stress was like a fungus. He would have to share that with Scarlet.

"I can't believe it either," Scorpius said. "The year is flying by. We'll have to figure out what to do with our lives before we know it."

"Don't remind me," Albus groaned, stuffing a piece of chocolate chip scone into his mouth.

"I thought you wanted to play Quidditch," Scorpius said.

"I do," Albus said. "But I have to have a back up, don't I?"

"I don't know why," Scorpius said. "Scouts are coming specifically to see you. They've had their eyes on you since the first year."

"I don't know how you know that," Albus said. "But it's annoying as hell that you know and I don't."

"I'm Head Boy," Scorpius said. "Conversations get overheard. I hear them from the headmaster himself, or the teachers in the staff room."

'What do you do in the staff room?" Albus demanded.

"Head Boy duties," Scorpius said, waving it off . "My point is, Albus, they want you on their teams. They've been scouting at Hogwarts for years, which means they've seen you play every year, I'm certain of it. They've seen how much better you've gotten. How you've never not caught the snitch in a match…"

"I don't know," Albus said. "I'm not expecting anything. I can't expect anything. When people expect things, it leaves them very vulnerable for disappointment."

Scorpius raised an eyebrow.

"I told my parents that," Albus said. "I told them they shouldn't expect brains and they shouldn't expect awards. Because I said that, they're thrilled when I do well in Quidditch and indifferent when I don't get top marks."

"I don't think your parents would've been disappointed that you're not top in the class," Scorpius said. "They're parents. They're proud of you no matter what you do."

"They wouldn't be proud of me for everything," Albus said. "A lot of things would disappoint them.'

"I know what you mean," Scorpius said.

"Your parents must be thrilled with you though," Albus said. "Your marks are perfect."

"I've always been trying to be the perfect son for my parents," Scorpius said. "It took a lot to get back in the good graces of society after the fall of Voldemort. I have to be smart so I'm not exiled. I have to be decent so people don't ostracize me. And on top of that, I'm a Malfoy. I have live up to the perfection and standards set forth by my parents. We're proper people, they said, and I fear that there are some things about me that would kill them to find out. They would probably never forgive me for them."  
>Albus raised an eyebrow. Scorpius could tell he was curious, but he wasn't going to press. Scorpius knew they were in the same boat, with the actions of their parents hanging heavy on their heads. It was hard to be the son of a Death Eater, but equally hard to be the son of a hero. Many expectations were there.<p>

"I'm just hoping I'll survive Transfiguration until the end," Albus said.

"And for me, that'd be Herbology," Scorpius said. "And you're not that bad at Transfiguration."

"I don't know how I scraped an E on the O.W.L," Albus said. "Everyone was shocked."

"What's the problem if you're only _Acceptable _now?" Scorpius said. "Transfiguration isn't highly useful on the Quidditch pitch."

"They should offer a course in Quidditch," Albus said. "I'd fly through that one. I'd murder everyone in that one. That would bring an O in the mail. I mean, I got an O… I got two Os. I don't know how but I did… Anyway… Quidditch would still be better. I at least wouldn't be bored senseless. In fact, maybe I'll present that idea to the governors of the school. They might go for that. I'd teach the course."

"You would be a Professor?" Scorpius questioned.

"Well, I suppose it would be a bad thing that I don't care for children. And eleven year olds are certainly children," Albus said.

Scorpius laughed. "Yeah, it probably wouldn't be that great."

"But I mean, what do you want to do after Hogwarts?" Albus changed the subject, shoving the spotlight off of himself and onto Scorpius.

"Oh Merlin," Scorpius said. "I have a lot options, I suppose. I would like to be an auror, honestly. It would be preferred."

"That is a good job," Albus said. "I think the only one in my family that might turn out to be one of those would be Lily. She's the big brain. James was smart, but not ever keen on following Dad's footsteps."

"You're not dumb though," Scorpius said. "You're taking all of the classes you need to be an auror. And you've done really well in Defense, Charms and Potions."

Albus shrugged. "I dunno. It's not for me."

"I didn't say it was," Scorpius said. "I just said you weren't stupid."

"Right," Albus said. "Well when you grow up with Rose and Lily you feel dumb."

He sighed and kicked his chair back on two legs, looking into the fire. Scorpius watched him for a moment. He was so attracted to him. The personality, the hair, the green eyes, the entire physique… He couldn't help it. It was just the way things were. He supposed that should be a damper on their friendship, but it hadn't yet. They were still managing, thus far, to be friends, despite Scorpius' preference. Though that was probably because Scorpius was still keeping it a secret, he didn't mind.

"What are you going to do with the rest of your birthday?" Scorpius asked Albus, changing the subject.

"I'm not sure," Albus said, letting his chair settle back down on all four legs. "Not sure."

Scorpius nodded.

"It's kind of nice," Albus said.

"What?"  
>"Our friendship,' Albus explained. "If that's what this is, I mean."<p>

"Oh."

"And I say that because it's nice to be friends with someone who doesn't know every detail of your life. And who doesn't pry. You don't really pry," Albus said, examining his mug of hot chocolate.

"I try not to pry," Scorpius said. "I have a friend who pries."

"Scarlet?" Albus assumed, chuckling.

"Yes," Scorpius said.

"Yes, well I have a Rose," Albus said. "I bet they're similar."

"I think they'd make very good friends if they sat down and tried to be friends," Scorpius said.

"I agree," Albus said. "I guess it sort of is like us, actually. We were only good friends when we actually attempted to be friends. It took six years to get used to the concept of each other… but now, I think it's a good thing."

"It is a good thing," Scorpius agreed. "I'm glad we have become friends."

"You always sound so serious," Albus said. "Everything you say comes out perfect. Perfect grammar, perfect word choice. _I'm glad we have become friends. _That doesn't sound like something you would say to a friend. You should say _I'm glad we're friends. _Or _I'm happy we're friends,_ even…."

Scorpius frowned. "I didn't realize it sounded like that. Pretentious."

"It's not pretentious. It just sounds like… I don't know, like we're not really friends."

"I—"

"I'm being stupid," Albus said, cutting across him. He barked out an uncomfortable laugh. "Why does it even matter? We're blokes. We're mates now. Big deal, the way you talk, never mind."

Scorpius looked at him. Albus wasn't looking back, but at the fire instead, causing his eyes to turn gold again. In the light, Scorpius noticed a blush tint to his cheeks. He was embarrassed. Scorpius didn't know why, but he was.

"It's all right," Scorpius said, forcing out an awkward laugh too.

Albus sighed and stood up. The elves rushed forward and took his mug and the empty plate. Scorpius finished the few dregs off hot chocolate left in his mug and stood up too. He thanked the elves and followed briskly after his friend, who was already nearly out in the corridor again.

Albus leaned against the wall, pressing his forehead against the cool stone, closing his eyes. Scorpius would've asked what was wrong, but the expression Albus' face, so distressed, told him to leave it alone.

"I have a lot of problems," Albus said. "I'm sorry."

"I have a problem too," Scorpius said.

"Just one?" Albus questioned.

"Well it's a big one," Scorpius said, shrugging.

"What is it?" Albus wondered, opening his eyes carefully.

Scorpius cleared his throat. Here was the moment. Chances floated in front of him. He could ruin this friendship, but maybe it was necessary… He opened his mouth.

"You don't have to tell me," Albus said. "Forget I asked."

Scorpius shook his head. "No. I should tell you."


	21. In Which the Closet Door Opens

**Chapter 21.**

**In Which the Closet Door Swings Wide Open**

Scorpius was first and foremost an academic. His goal was to work so hard that he could be an auror, and establish the Malfoy name in an even better light still. He wanted to knock down those barriers that had been built up over time, by a reputation that had been much deserved. Scorpius was an academic mostly because he had been a Death Eater's son first.

Scarlet liked to say this his good-two-shoes air had fully smothered the good time in him. Their mothers knew each other from school and put them together from a young age. Scorpius, like her, used to enjoy getting in trouble. They would do things solely for the purpose of bothering their families—especially their mothers. Sending them to Hogwarts, where there would be no parental supervision- and what looked like a lot more freedom to wild pre-teens-was a somewhat frightening thought for their mothers and fathers.

Scarlet was everything to him. He wouldn't be able to live without her. From day one, they told each other everything. She had her personality flaws, her annoying quirks that to this day made some moments with her more miserable than fancy tea with his mother's parents. But he had his too. They effectively balanced each other, checked each other, and made life easier for each other. They weren't the sort of friends that judged each other, even if they didn't agree with each other's actions.

Honestly, when they were younger, they'd had a lot of life. They'd started small, using their poorly honed and horribly controlled magical powers to cause mischief. They'd stolen firewhiskey at age eleven—right before Hogwarts—and gotten in quite a bit of trouble before they 'd even had a sip. They were a terrible duo, and they knew it.

School was different though. He knew he had to be good, he had to be the best. Scarlet understood, but dragged him along on their little adventures. She got him in trouble, he got her in trouble. But he had to shape up. After a couple of detentions, he sat himself down and made the decision. He needed to be the perfect student. Prefect. Head Boy. All of it would help him in the future.

He had a hard time letting loose since then. During the summer, he and Scarlet would still wreak havoc. Their parents, though they didn't appreciate or condone it, were used to seeing them appear from somewhere, tipsy, or completely drunk. Scarlet got fed up with him during the school year, missing the Scorp he used to be, calling him flat as a pancake.

She thought it was horribly exciting when he came to the conclusion that he was gay. For some reason, she wrapped it around in her head that that was going to make him come out of his shell again, burst through the confines he had built up, and actually be who he was.

She couldn't have been more wrong. If anything, he'd built the walls thicker and higher. This was something people couldn't find out, and being a very eligible guy at Hogwarts, but still single, was bound to raise questions. He worked hard to maintain the manly athletic reputation he had to keep the rumor mill at bay, and finally got Scarlet on board to help let out a few rumors of sexual escapades between Scorp and few girls. And then girls started adding their own rumors to the mix, saying that they slept with Scorpius Malfoy, and it all went from there.

He was thankful for it. If rumors ever got back to his father—which, chances were, they would, through some Slytherin or another—he would much rather they be about being a poorly behaved, sexually active man whore instead of being gay. It would just be… the end of the world. In his father's eyes. The apocalypse come.

Everything Scorpius did was for himself and his family. He was sick of the Malfoy name in the dirt. Him being gay would just be another reason for the family to be black listed by many. The fact that Draco and Astoria Malfoy had produced a queer would be a source of many harsh opinions from others, and cause of pain that they didn't deserve. They were good parents. Scorpius didn't want to hurt them. He didn't want them to think it was their fault, and he didn't want them to hate him for what he was. Ruining the Malfoy reputation would destroy the family. Being gay would destroy the family.

So he worked. He was an academic. He needed to be the star at Hogwarts, to come out on top, get into the auror program and bring a shining positive light on the Malfoys. He knew he couldn't keep things hidden forever, it would be impossible. But he at least was going to wait until he made himself a good reputation. If that meant he was a flat and boring person because all he did was study, then that was that.

He had no intentions of telling anyone but Scarlet about his preferences. Of course he told her, and she would never tell anyone. He trusted her, despite her loud personality, and even though she pushed limits sometimes, and tested him to see how much he would let her get away with, she would never blatantly give anything away about him. He usually overreacted.

But for now, he had long since decided she was the only one that needed to know. He was happy that way. He was safe that way, and unafraid. He didn't have to worry.

Until he told Albus Potter.

What made him say it, he wasn't sure, but he had to say something. He had to tell him. Albus looked so wounded, with the pained expression on his face as he talked about the problems Scorpius didn't know the half of… and Scorpius felt like his wasn't such a big deal anymore. He could at least share it to show Albus that he wasn't alone. Everyone struggled with something.

And so he said it. He looked at Albus Potter and said, "Well… I'm… gay."

And effectively, he figured, ruined his entire friendship.

-CD-

Albus stared.

"Huh?"

Scorpius' usually pale cheeks were flushed instantly with a vibrant red blush. He looked down quickly, away from Albus' eyes.

"Scorpius…" Albus said. "You're kidding right?"

"I wish I was," Scorpius said, leaning against the wall and closing his eyes. "I can't believe I just told you that."

"Why did you tell me?" Albus wondered. He was shocked. In awe, actually. Scorpius Malfoy couldn't be _gay. _

"Because I didn't think you would tell anyone…" Scorpius said. "And I wanted to."

"Oh…" Albus said. "So you're not joking?"

"No," Scorpius said. "I'm… sorry if it's awkward. And I understand if you don't want to continue the friendship because of this…"

"You have to give me a minute to recover," Albus said. "You're basically the last person on this _earth _that I would expect to be gay."

"I'm pretty good at hiding it," Scorpius said.

"Well then…" Albus said. "I mean… do you… like anybody?"

"If you mean do I like you, then no," Scorpius said, crossing his arms.

"That's not what I meant," Albus said. He was just… so in shock, he wasn't sure what he was supposed to say. It was just… if someone so apparently straight as Scorpius Malfoy could be gay, Albus wondered… about himself. I mean, there were chances. Maybe he was…

"You look a little nauseous," Scorpius accused.

"Not because you're… gay," Albus said.

"Look, like I said, if it's too awkward for you, if you don't agree with it, this friendship can stop," Scorpius said. "I just ask that you don't tell anyone."

"Why would we need to end the friendship?" ALbus questioned, confused.

"I don't know," Scorpius said. "You tell me."

"I'll still be your friend," Albus said. "I just… I don't know why you told me this."

"You're my friend,' Scorpius explained, shrugging.

"You have a lot of friends. I'll bet you haven't told Nick and Kirk," Albus said.

"They wouldn't understand."

"Well then why would you think I would?" Albus said, for some reason finding that anger was starting to creep into his voice.

"What… why are you angry?" Scorpius demanded. "I told you because I thought… you were a nice person. A good friend. The sort of friend I'm lucky to have."  
>"You don't want to be my friend," Albus said. "I don't understand you. I understand this but I don't understand why you would want to be friends with someone like me."<p>

"Now I'm confused," Scorpius said.

"I'm pretty worthless."

"What… why would you say that?" Scorpius demanded.

"I can't help you with your problems," Albus said. "I've got too many of my own."

"Well I can help you with them," Scorpius said. "If you would tell me."

Albus groaned, sliding down the wall and sitting down. He put his head in his hands, resting his elbows on his knees.

Scorpius stayed standing, but even just out of the corners of his eyes, Albus could tell he didn't know what to do. He didn't blame him. He couldn't blame him. Albus was creating a scene. He was having one of his moments, and he couldn't explain them, to anyone. But he knew, every time he had one. They felt the same, the crushing, inability to breathe, self-loathing and depression falling in waves on his shoulders, holding his head down.

After a moment, Scorpius finally spoke.

"Are you all right?" he asked, sitting down next to Albus.

"I don't know," Albus said, leaning his head back against the wall.

"I've ruined your birthday, haven't I?" Scorpius said.

"It's not you," Albus assured him, opening his eyes again.

"I listen well and I keep secrets like a pro," Scorpius pointed out.

Albus laughed a little. "I'd rather not talk about it today. It's my birthday, after all. I should be doing something fun. Not sitting on the floor by the kitchens, hating the world, right? I should get up and move."

He sprung to his feet, looking down in time to see the confused expression on Scorpius' face. Scorpius stood up slowly too, looking at Albus. He was taller than Albus, and broader, Albus realized. An attractive sort of broad…

He closed his eyes. That was not what he wanted to be thinking about at this point.

"Come on," he said to Scorpius. "Let's figure out something to do. Maybe find Rose and Scarlet or something…"

"Okay," Scorpius said. "But I just want to make sure… you're okay with this?"

"I am,' Albus said. "You're gay. So what? I won't tell anyone. I promise."

"Okay," Scorpius said. "If you're sure."

"I'm sure," Albus said.

He hunched his shoulders. So Scorpius was gay.

He cursed himself for the weird flutter feeling in his stomach. Something was nudging him, telling him to look at how good things were. All he could see, from that, was how bad they actually seemed.

He shrugged his shoulders and shoved his hands in his pockets. Life was a little screwed up sometimes. He wasn't going to deny that. His life was screwed up a lot, mostly because he made it that way. It was his job to not screw it up, and then, when he did, to let himself know that things weren't really as bad as he thought.

It was a lot harder than he thought. It was a lot harder than people tried to tell him it was. But he knew he had to work on this sort of thing.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Scorpius asked. "You look a little green."

"I'm fine," Albus assured him, knowing full well that that was his favorite lie.


	22. Being a Malfoy

**_A/N: Hello my lovely readers! I hope you all are enjoying this so far! I've gotten a lot of reviews where people are saying, "I thought there would be snogging." Yeah... No snogging. Not yet. But patient. I shall not disappoint somewhere in the next ten chapters. I promise. The next chapters have some important conversations in them, and they will lead to eventual snogging. I promise. But bear with me!_**

**Chapter 22.**

**Being a Malfoy (The Denial of Scorpius Malfoy)**

"Happy Birthday, Albus," Rose said, putting a cake in front of him in the common room after dinner. "I got the elves to make this for you."

The entire Weasley family gathered around him. One candle was stuck in the cake, waiting for him to blow it out, and they were all grinning at him.

_Yeah. _He thought. _Happy birthday to me. _He rolled his eyes, hoping they couldn't see, and puffed out the candle with one breath. Rose pulled out her wand and started to cut pieces for everyone with it.

"What's wrong?" she asked once the others had taken their cake away to eat it somewhere.

"Nothing's wrong," he said.

"You've been off since you came back from the kitchens with Scorpius," she said.

"It's nothing," he promised her.

"I feel like we have this conversation every day," she said. "I never believe you."

"Well you should," he said.

She sighed, sitting down in front of him. "So are you and Scorpius really getting along then?"

"He's a really good bloke," Albus said. "A good friend too, I think."

"Well that's good. You can never have too many good friends," Rose said.

"Yeah," Albus said, smiling a little. He took a few bites of his cake. The elves were masters, he couldn't deny it.

"Hey," she said. "Smile. Why are you smiling?"

"Because I love you, Rosie," he said.

"I love you too," she said. "And I'm glad you're friends with Scorpius, if you want to be friends with him. And if there's anything you want to tell me… about anything. Just go right ahead."

She looked at him pointedly, her blue eyes boring into his green ones. He could've sworn for a moment that she knew… about everything. About how he doubted who he liked, and what he liked, and everything like that. She knew. He was almost certain of it.

"Well I have to go," she said. "Happy birthday, Al. You deserve a happy one. I just have to finish up a quick essay for Potions…"

"I'm appalled," he said. "I've finished my homework before you for once. Slacking, Weasley."

"You spend all your time doing your homework with your new best friend," Rose said. "And you got to slack for six years. It's my turn."

"All right," he said, shaking his head. "Thanks, Rosie."

"Yep," she said. "Anytime Al."

Albus finished his cake and headed upstairs to his dorm room to get out his Quidditch playbook in the peace and quiet. Even though games didn't recommence until about March due to the chill, he needed to keep himself and his team at the ready. Their next match was against Ravenclaw, and they had played well against Slytherin.

He settled on his bed, getting the Quidditch play book out of his pocket and finding a quill in the piles of junk on his bedside table. He relaxed against his pillows, working in the light from the lantern on the table with the junk. It was a comfortable evening. He was warm, and comfortable, and admittedly, happy, while at the same time, he was a little down still.

He was just so shocked about Scorpius. How was he supposed to react to that, honestly? He knew he'd said it was okay, and honestly, it was. He wasn't going to be horrible to someone for who they were attracted to. Especially since he himself had more doubt than he had assuredness.

He hadn't been bothered by Natalia in a while. Apparently she'd gotten the message. That and he figured a sexual partner who didn't really want to be there wasn't any great shakes.

Truth be told, when he drifted off to sleep at night, his mind wandered to sex with Natalia. Mostly, though, it wandered on after that, into what ran through his head when he had sex with her: the body of Scorpius Malfoy. There was just something about an extremely fit male form with muscles and athleticism and attractive features that turned him on. And he couldn't help it.

While he sat there, thinking about it, the image of Scorpius fluttered back into his head. Most of it was made up. He'd never actually seen Scorpius without a shirt on, and he had to hypothesize to come up with most of what he got. He wasn't trying to think about it either. His brain was just good at it. So yeah, it produced a pretty fine image. One that Albus grudgingly admitted to himself, at least for a moment, was very attractive. Muscles stretched tight across his chest, toned pectorals and a washboard of abs… thick biceps and with tendons that sort of stuck out—he'd seen those already. And then of course the silver-gray eyes, framed by dark lashes and occasionally hidden by the mussed mess that was usually Scorpius' hair. But only when it got too long.

Albus groaned. There was no reason for him to be thinking this way—about any guy, let alone one who was gradually becoming one of his best mates. It was a bad thing. He didn't want this. He had done so well lately, convincing himself that if he didn't want it, then it wasn't true. But today, talking with Scorpius… he just couldn't keep the creeping thoughts away for long.

He wasn't attracted to a bloke. He couldn't be!

But as he sat there, thinking about the image mostly conjured in his head, he knew otherwise. All of it was very nearly confirmed by the traitorous tightening of his jeans, the gradual bulge that appeared there as he went hard.

He moaned and collapsed flat on his bed. He couldn't do this. But he hadn't had sex in a while, and he hadn't wanked off in an even greater amount of time. It was his birthday after all. His present to himself was to do this quickly, get it over with and make himself forget about it the next day. He had to.

-CD-

"I'm nauseous," Scorpius said.

"You'll get over it," Scarlet said, rubbing his back soothingly.

"I can't believe I did that," Scorpius complained.

"You're being dramatic," she said, patting him gently.

"I know, but still," he said. "I can't believe I told him."

"He's not going to do anything about it," Scarlet said. "He's not going to tell anyone."

"You don't know that," he argued.

"If he's your friend, he won't," she said.

"I don't know…" Scorpius said.

"Look…" she said gently. "I think you have a bit more on your mind here."

'What do you mean?" he asked, looking up at her.

They were sitting together in his dorm room, alone while people enjoyed the evening in the common room, finishing up homework for class the next day.

"I mean… how do you feel about him?" Scarlet asked. She was being careful. He could tell she didn't want him to bite her head off, or worse, hex her, because of the questions she was asking.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, you're attracted to him, right?" she questioned.

"I suppose so, yeah," Scorpius admitted. "I mean, he's good looking. His hair. His eyes. His…" He blushed.

"Body? Arse?" Scarlet offered.

"Basically,' Scorpius said, blushing an even darker shade.

"Well no straight woman or gay man can fault you there," she comforted him. "He's… _gorgeous. _But I'm just wondering if there is anything else to this whole thing, Scorpius."

"What do you mean, 'anything else?'"

"I mean, do you think you might actually like him?" she asked, crossing her legs and waiting for him to get angry at her.

"I don't know why you would think that," Scorpius said.

"Because…" she said. "The way you talk about him. And look at him… I don't know. Do you like his personality?"

"He's very kind," Scorpius said.

"Oh come off it and actually talk!" Scarlet ordered. 'What do you think about him?"

"He's… extremely fun… to talk to, to hang out with… and for some reason I worry about him," Scorpius said.

"Worry about him?" she repeated.

"Yeah," Scorpius said. "I don't know why. I just… want to make sure he's okay. And happy. I don't know. When I wake up in the morning, I wonder about him."

"What do you wonder?"

"This is sort of stupid example," he said, blushing. "But for some reason, when I see him the Great Hall for breakfast, I wonder if he slept well."

"That's not stupid," she said. "Look, you _like _him Scorpius. You want to be with him."

"I don't though,' Scorpius argued. "I told him that I didn't…"

"Just because you told him doesn't mean it's true," she said.

"I just feel…" Scorpius said.

"Like you shouldn't want it, because he isn't gay, so that sort of creates a problem," Scarlet finished.

"Yeah," he said. He would never understand how she knew stuff like that.

She sighed. "Scorpius, you feel things like that for him… you care about him. Maybe just because he's a friend, or maybe because you'd like for him to be more than that. Yeah, he's straight. But that doesn't mean anything. I know you can't be with him."

"Exactly," he said. "It's not something I want, if I have to live knowing I like someone, I wish there was a chance that they could feel the same way about me."

"There is a chance," she argued.

He snorted.

"Well there is!" Scarlet insisted. "Do you know for one hundred percent certain, that Albus Potter is straight?"

"He had sex with a girl," Scorpius informed her.

"Oh yes. Because no gay boy was ever confused and trying to convince himself that he was straight. Or better yet—bisexual people don't exist," she said. "Look, I'm not trying to get your hopes up…"

"Then stop talking," Scorpius said.

"I'm just saying that if you don't know something for certain, you shouldn't resign yourself to it," she said.

He sighed. "Scarlet…"

"Really," she said, squeezing his hand. "Just because you're gay doesn't mean you can't be happy."

"I know that," he said.

"Then act like it," she said. "And meanwhile, don't get mad at yourself for having these thoughts about a guy, all right? Go ahead and shag him in your mind, if that's what you want to do. You're allowed."

Scorpius sighed again. More loudly this time.

"Stop the sighing," she said. "Live a little, Scorpius. Please? No one is going to know if you think about it. No one would be mad at you anyway. Don't beat yourself up about results you don't know for certain."

"You talk as if you don't know my father," he said, flopping onto my back. "I would forgive your ignorance if that were the case."

"Why the hell do you have to talk like that?" she demanded.

"Like what?"

"Like you're better than everyone else. Like a snooty, overconfident, _Malfoy." _

He stared at her as she glared at him, breathing heavily. She hopped off of his bed.

"Your life isn't as bad as you think it," she said. "Your parents aren't as unloving as you have led yourself to believe. Please realize that."

She walked out of the room and closed the door behind her, leaving him alone on his bed. He sighed. He knew that she didn't know his parents as well as he did. She knew them well, but still. This was something new. It wasn't the two of them getting drunk and stumbling around like lunatics, shouting at the top of their lungs. It was something else entirely.

He peeled his shirt over his head and slid underneath his sheets. He rolled onto his stomach and turned his head to the side.

So maybe he did like Albus that way. It was horrible to think about, but all the signs were there. So maybe he liked him. Maybe he felt that way about someone he wanted to be his close friend. If it wasn't already awkward that he was gay and Albus wasn't, then it was certainly going to be now.

Their friendship, though a good one, was still young. It was fragile and easily destroyed. Scorpius figured that it wasn't flexible, or resilient. Instead of bending, it would simply snap in two with any sort of pressure.


	23. The Son of a Great Hero

_**A/n: I think you might like chapter 30. Just sayin'**_

**Chapter 23**

**The Son of a Great Hero**

Albus decided that sleeping was better than classes. He'd gotten in trouble for the occasional bout of skipping before, but he wasn't afraid of a little detention. Besides, he could claim sick, but not sick enough for the Hospital Wing. Sure. That would work. He could always get Rose to vouch for him. He just needed the day to convince himself that everything was all right. That he wasn't… gay.

"Are you okay?" Rose asked him after breakfast.

"I don't feel well. I think I just need to sleep through it," he lied.

"Mm…" she said. 'Okay." He could tell she saw right through him. Rose always knew when he was lying.

"Let me know what I miss," he said.

"You can't skip, Albus," she said.

"I'm not skipping,' he said. "I'm sick."  
>"You're lying to me," she said.<p>

"No I'm not!" he insisted. "Merlin. Why don't you just believe me?"

"You don't need to yell at me," she said.

"I'm not yelling at you," he snapped.

"You don't need to be angry, either!" she said. "I don't know what your problem is lately, Albus, but you don't need to just mope around in bed all day. Why don't you do something about it?"

"Please, just let me sleep," he said.

"I hate it when you do this, Albus," she said. "You really worry me."

"How many times do I tell you not to worry about me?" he said. "I've got it under control, Rose."

"Albus Severus Potter," Rose said. "You have depression. If you had it under control, then you would be out of bed, and going to class and looking a little happier than you are right now. I know something is wrong. I'm not dumb, Albus. And you're acting like I am. You know what, I'm writing your mother!"

"No…" Albus said. "Merlin, no Rose, don't write my mother. Please?"

"I swear to you, I will, Albus Potter," she said, holding up a finger. "If you are not smiling ear to ear by tomorrow…. You mark my words."

"Consider them marked," Albus said, flipping onto his stomach. "I really don't feel well Rose.'  
>"Then maybe you should go to the nurse," she said.<p>

"I think I'll be over it," Albus said.

"Smiling. Ear to ear," she said. "Ear to bloody ear."

"I will," he groaned. "I'm going back to bed. Enjoy class."

"Merlin… Al…" she said, shaking her head. She sounded like she was going to cry, but she just walked out of the room and left him there alone.

He sighed and wrapped his arm around his pillow. Last night it hadn't taken long for him to come when wanking off. It made it harder to convince himself that he was straight. If it was purely the sound of Scorpius' voice, an image of just his upper half conjured in Albus' head, the thought of him being near Albus, of comforting him… And that was all it took. Was the thought of being with someone like Scorpius.

He moaned. He was attracted to _that?_

He felt sick. And not because of the image, but because of how it made him feel. Just reliving the image made him… ugh.

He wanted to smother himself with a pillow, but he figured that version of suicide wouldn't be all that effective anyway. And besides, he didn't want to die. He just didn't want to be the way he was at that moment. Attracted to a bloke. A friend, no less!

Albus closed his eyes and tried to squeeze the image out of his head. The whole "convince himself he wasn't gay" part of his birthday gift to himself was failing miserably.

So suppose he was gay. What was he supposed to do about it? Tell people? Come out? Or tell Rose at least? Was he supposed to try to be in a relationship? Or keep the secret? The problem with Albus was that secrets tended to stay inside of him and eat him up from the inside out until he was a miserable defeated shell.

But he had to know. Was he gay? Was he not? He couldn't decide—or more so, he didn't _want _to decide. Mostly because he was afraid of the answer.

Around lunch time, the door to the dormitory banged open. He didn't look up, figuring it was one of the boys who shared the room with him, come back to get something before their next class. He pretending to keep sleeping.

"Albus." It was not one of his roommate's voices that reached his ear. He rolled over quickly, to find Scorpius standing next to his bed, bag over his shoulder, in his school uniform with his robes slung over his arm.

"What?" Albus demanded.

"Rose told me you were… in a bad place this morning," Scorpius said.

"Well you can tell Rose that she can mind her own business," Albus said.

"Well, seeing as you haven't gotten out of bed and look thoroughly miserable," Scorpius said, "I'm inclined to believe her."

"Yeah well…" Albus said.

"And I can't help but feel that this is my fault," Scorpius said.

"Why the hell would it be your fault?" Albus demanded.

"Because," Scorpius said. "Professor Longbottom told me you were emotionally conflicted. I shouldn't have burdened you with my problems as well. That wasn't fair of—"

"Professor Longbottom _what?" _Albus said, sitting up abruptly.

"He said… that your mum said…" Scorpius trailed off. The look on his face—similar to the look one would wear if he just insulted his grandmother's favorite ancient painting in front of her—told Albus that he realized instantly that what he said was something that probably shouldn't have been said in order to protect everyone's sanity.

"What did my mum say?" Albus demanded.

"That you're emotionally conflicted," Scorpius grumbled, clearing his throat and avoiding eye contact.

"Emotionally conflicted," Albus echoed. "Professor Longbottom told you that? Why the hell did he tell you that?"

"We were having a conversation and for some reason he brought you up…" Scorpius said.

"He had no right to do that," Albus said, throwing himself out of bed and fumbling for clothes. "I can't believe… I'm going to go talk to him. I think you ought to come with me."

"I have class…" Scorpius said.

"So do I," Albus said, throwing his robes over his school uniform. "Come on."

-CD-

Scorpius had seen Scarlet mad. It was not a pretty sight. He had seen Rose Weasley mad, and seen her entire family run for cover. However, neither of those situations were as frightening to Scorpius as this was.

As he followed Albus down through the snow toward the greenhouses, he was actually worried for poor Professor Longbottom. But he was more worried for Albus himself. He was in no state to be having a confrontation—Scorpius could see it, he was just angry at everyone, but more importantly himself. It was just in his eyes. They were bloodshot and wild. He was going to embarrass himself.

Thankfully, it was a free period for Professor Longbottom. Albus hammered on the door of his office as Scorpius lingered in silence behind him. The Professor pulled back the door, shocked at the impatience, and Scorpius caught his eye, hoping the plea was obvious in his eyes.

"Albus," Professor Longbottom said, noting the anger in Albus' face. "Come in, please."

Albus walked past him and stood by the window, still fuming. Scorpius lingered just inside the door, waiting for the explosion, unsure how to participate—mediate if necessary.

"Why would you tell another student what my mother tells you?" Albus demanded, his fist clenched at his sides. "My mum tells you that I'm _emotionally conflicted _and you share with Scorpius? I don't know why you would do that!"

"Albus, please calm down," Professor Longbottom said. Scorpius was surprised that the professor was keeping his calm so well.

"I'm not calm. That was extremely personal," Albus said. Scorpius noticed for the first time—he didn't know how he'd missed it—that Albus was near tears.

"I only said it because I am concerned about you," Professor Longbottom said. "And I am only concerned about you because Rose and Scarlet told me to check in on both of you… You and Scorpius."

"They what?" Scorpius said, opening his mouth for the first time.

"Before I talked to you those few months ago, Rose and Scarlet came to me together. They came to tell me that they were worried about both of you. They said that you two had started a friendship and something had abruptly stopped it. Scarlet was concerned about you, Scorpius, and said that you looked very hurt by the end. And Rose, Albus, she worried that you would take this horribly. They told me to ask you, but Rose told me that I _had _to let Scorpius in the loop about you, Albus, so that he knew not to be horrible to you."

"You didn't have to listen to them!" Albus said. "You're a professor!"

"_Scarlet?" _Scorpius echoed. He couldn't believe this. She shouldn't have been meddling in his life. It was none of her business how his friendship with Albus worked out—or didn't work out.

"You say I didn't have to listen to her, Albus, but I am as regularly concerned about you as the rest of your family is," Professor Longbottom said. "Rose is a smart girl, and I trust her suggestions. She knows you better than anyone in this world, except for maybe your father or James…."

"I can't believe she did this," Albus said. "I can't believe you told Scorpius either. People everywhere are violating my trust. I don't care for it."  
>Scorpius sighed. "Come on, Albus."<p>

"What?" Albus said.

"Come on, let's go back to the castle," Scorpius said.

"I'm still angry," Albus said.

"I know," Scorpius said. "But it'll be better if you just calm down for a little bit, Albus. Please. Trust me on this one."

Albus groaned. "Fine. Professor Longbottom, I hope I can talk to you again tomorrow."

"My door is open any time, Albus," Professor Longbottom said.

Scorpius led Albus out of the room and they started back toward the castle.

"I can't…" Albus said. "Why do people interfere in my life?"

"Look, let's just hang out the rest of the afternoon," Scorpius said. He was just trying to be a good friend. He knew Albus needed it at the moment.

"You'll get in trouble for skipping," Albus said.

"Nah," Scorpius said. "I can get out of trouble. Don't worry about it."

"Ugh," Albus said. "All right…"

"So what's really wrong?" Scorpius said. "I promise you. You can trust me. For one thing, you know my biggest secret, and therefore have a lot of leverage over me… For another, I _am _your friend, Albus."

"I know, I know," Albus said. "You're my friend."

They stomped into the Entrance Hall.

"Let's go to my dormitory so we don't get caught and forced to class," Albus said.

"All right," Scorpius said.

They headed up through the secret passageways and finally arrived at the Gryffindor common room. Albus headed through a few students on break, and up the stairs to the seventh year boys dorm. He flopped on his bed, and Scorpius settled in the wooden chair by the window.

"If I said nothing's wrong, I know you wouldn't believe me," Albus said morosely.

"You're right, I wouldn't," Scorpius said.

"My problems are many," Albus said. "And I know I shouldn't have them, which makes me more upset. I suffer from what the healers like to call 'major depression.' Though some would argue it's really minor depression. I'm not sure which it is. All I know is, they suck at treating it. They gave me a bunch of potions and stuff, but it wasn't a lot of help. So it was mostly talking back and forth to them. And it made me miserable, but I guess it's better now. I mean, fifth year was bad… sixth year was pretty good… this year is somewhere in between. But yeah."

"Oh," Scorpius said. "I didn't know."

"I know," Albus said. "Most people don't. Besides, who would expect it from the son of the great hero? That's all I am. The son of a great hero."


	24. Admitting It is the First Step

**Chapter 24.**

**Admitting It is the First Step**

"You're more than that," Scorpius said. "You're not just a hero's son. If you're just a hero's son, then I'm just a Death Eater's son."

"No, I'm saying that in everyone's opinion that's all I am. All I have to be. I have to be perfect," Albus said. "And I suppose that caused the depression, as well as made it worse, because the hero's son can't have depression…"

"And a Malfoy's son can't be gay," Scorpius said. "It's pretty much the greatest disgrace ever."

Albus looked a little nauseated at that comment. He pinched his eyes closed and squeezed the bridge of his nose between his fingers.

"Are you… all right?" Scorpius asked. He felt like an arse for asking it, too. Obviously, Albus _wasn't _all right. That much was clear.

"I'm… I'm not," Albus said. He choked on the words, as if they were hard for him to say.

"What's wrong then?" Scorpius wondered.

"I don't even want to talk about it," Albus said. "And I know, talking is good… but it's not good when you don't want to think about it. Because it makes you so sick and so terrified…"

"Terrified?" Scorpius repeated. "What are you terrified of, Albus?"

The door to the dormitory swung open and Rose tromped in.

"You're dressed?" she said to Albus. "I was worried when Scorpius didn't come to the class after lunch…."

"I don't want to talk to you," Albus informed her.

"Huh?" she said, leaning against one of the posts of his bed.

"Why the hell did you tell Professor Longbottom to check up on me? And why did you tell him to say some stuff to Scorpius? Stuff that's really personal? Why would you do that, Rose?"

"Albus…" Rose said, frowning. "Please don't be mad at me."

"He has a lot of right to be mad at you," Scorpius pointed out. Rose shot him a glare.

"Stay out of this," Rose snapped at him.

"No," Scorpius said, finding himself getting defensive. He rose from his chair. "You and Scarlet had no right to do that to either of us. What happens in the friendship I have with your cousin is between him and me. And I know I would appreciate it if you would mind your own damn business. Both of you."

"Albus is my business, you arse!" Rose said. "More my business than he is yours!"

"But that still doesn't give you any right—" Scorpius shouted.

"Shut up. Both of you," Albus said from his bed, still flopped on his back. "I'm not taking sides between you, you know. Rose, I'm mad at you, but you're my cousin. Scorpius, thanks for being a good friend and all, but I can fight my own battles, thanks."

They both stared at him.

"I'm not trying to fight your battles," Scorpius said.

"I'm not weak," Albus said. "Both of you seem to think I need a lot of help. I can help myself."

"Spending the day in bed is not helping yourself," Rose argued.

"And nor is all of that… stuff… that you talk about," Scorpius said.

"We're just trying to help you. To be there for you." Rose said. She stumbled over the word "we're." She didn't care for it, didn't like clumping herself with Scorpius.

"I don't need it," Albus said. 'And I don't need you ganging up on me either."

"We're not ganging up on you," Rose said. "If you would just _listen _to us—"

"And tell us things," Scorpius added.

"It would make life a lot easier," Rose said.

"Merlin, you two have found your common enemy," Albus said. "I knew you would enjoy each other one day. Look, I've decided this the point where I go back to sleep, and both of you go back to class, and I happily sleep for the rest of the day."

"Show me happily, and I'll let you sleep," Rose said.

Albus cracked what was perhaps the fakest grin Scorpius had ever seen.

"That's what I thought," he said.

"Just leave me alone," Albus said, flopping onto his stomach. Rose sighed and turned away, walking toward the door. When it clicked behind her, and Scorpius was still standing there, Albus lifted his head a little.

"I'm not going," Scorpius said, sitting right back down in the same seat he had vacated.

"Suit yourself," Albus said. He put his chin in his hand, leaning on his elbow. He pulled a miniature notebook out of his pocket and tapped it with his wand. Instantly, it grew larger, full sized. On the front cover it said "The Plays of Albus Potter, Gryffindor Quidditch Captain." It was a scribbled script, turned gold by some spell.

"So that's it then?" Scorpius said.

"That's what?" Albus said, looking over at him.

"Where all the genius is written down," Scorpius said.

"I suppose, yes," Albus said, actually grinning a little. "Yeah, it is. But don't think you can steal it. It's always on my person. Even when I'm sleeping."

"Wow," Scorpius said. He really was in awe. The plays that Albus came up with, the strategies exhibited by the Gryffindor team, were fantastic. They were well beyond the skill level of any other student team that Scorpius had ever seen, and comparable to some of the good teams in the British and Irish League. He had to admit, he was interested in it all.

"I would show you some," Albus said. "But we're still competition, and I don't need you stealing any of my far superior plays, Malfoy."  
>Scorpius laughed. "You know me. That's the sort of thing I would do."<p>

"I wouldn't put it past you in the world of Quidditch," Albus said, shaking his head gravely.

Scorpius smiled at him. He couldn't help it. It was just amazing to him how Albus' spirits lifted exponentially when talking about Quidditch. His eyes were brighter, but he still looked a little down, not smiling hugely.

"You can talk to me," he told Albus.

"I know," Albus said.

-CD-

_Just tell him, Albus. Just open your mouth and tell him. _Albus groaned internally. He was warring with himself now. He'd put his Quidditch book away and was just talking about Quidditch with Scorpius. They were talking about their favorite teams, and dreaming about playing on the team for England. Albus really liked the idea of playing as England's Seeker.

"I don't like you being gay," Albus said, as soon as he said it, he regretted his wording completely. As that came out of the blue completely, amidst a discussion about the Holyhead Harpies discrimination based on first initial of your first name, Scorpius took a moment to process it. Then his face fell. A frown creased his feathers, and Albus felt horrible. Scorpius looked very much hurt.

"That's not what I meant!" Albus said quickly. "I'm sorry, that's not what I meant. I feel like a prat. I mean, it just… I didn't want to think about it."

"Why not?" Scorpius wondered. He wasn't looking up, and he was blushing, but looked quite wounded still.

"Because it made me worried," Albus said. "If someone as… I suppose manly and… just the way you are… could be gay… then it made me worry about myself." He struggled through the sentences, shaking his head. Blush flooded his cheeks too and he looked down at the floor.

Scorpius looked up at him. "Albus, just because I'm gay doesn't automatically mean you could be."

"You don't understand," Albus complained.

"Really?" Scorpius said, shaking his head in an amused way. He wasn't upset, just laughing almost. "Try me, Albus. There is very little I don't understand in situations like this one."

"I've just…" Albus said. "It's been a question for me."

"It has?" Scorpius questioned, standing up a little more.

"And I mean… I don't _think _I am… I mean, I don't _want _to be," Albus said. "But I've wondered, since fifth year…"

Scorpius stared at him. It made Albus want to vomit, actually, because it was sort of an intense stare: silver, unblinking eyes.

"You're kidding me right?" Scorpius said finally, and Albus coughed.

"No…' he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper.

"That's when I figured myself out for the most part…" Scorpius said. "Fifth year."

"I haven't figured anything out," Albus said. "Besides, it's nothing… I haven't actually thought about it that much… and it's more… musings. Occasional musings."

"Well I wouldn't worry about it too much," Scorpius said. "At the very most, you're bisexual, what with the relationships you've had."

"Well…" Albus said. "I suppose people probably would say that about you. But you haven't had any of those relationships that people think you've had, have you?"

"No," Scorpius said, shaking his head. "But I mean, you've had yours. And there's Natalia."

"And this is where the trouble comes in!" Albus said. "This is where I start to get down—just thinking about it. Because as I much as I wanted to be, I wasn't attracted to her!"

"That might just be because she's a bit of a skank who is better at spreading her legs than an Amsterdam whore," Scorpius contributed.

"Don't remind me," Albus said.

They were quiet for a moment. Albus just thinking. He couldn't believe he was sharing this. Not a person in the world knew about the doubts and questions he had. Not even Rose. And now he was telling Scorpius—kind, attractive, gay Scorpius who—

"Oh Merlin!" Albus shouted.

"What?" Scorpius demanded, practically jumping.

"When you told me at the Slytherin party that you thought I was attractive… you meant it, like… attractive to you," Albus finally determined, realization washing over him all at once.

"Oh," Scorpius said. And judging by the fact that he instantly averted his eyes and focused on the toe of his right shoe, Albus figured he was hoping that they wouldn't ever bring up that moment again. But as long as they were baring secrets, he figured it couldn't hurt Scorpius to bare a few more.

"Yeah…" Albus said.

"Yeah," Scorpius said. "I think you're attractive. I think a lot of blokes are attractive. Obviously. That doesn't mean I have any sort of infatuation with you, Albus."

"I know that," Albus said. 'I was just wondering."

Not that he himself didn't find Scorpius attractive enough to fantasize about—complete with every joy that tends to come with a fantasy.

"I just… I don't know," Albus said. "I don't know."

"Well… if you don't mind, I'll ask you the questions I asked myself when I was having this sort of problem,' Scorpius offered.

"Fine," Albus said. "I don't know if I want to know the answers, but fine."

"Can you honestly say you are attracted to women—not specific women, just women as a whole… group?" Scorpius asked him.

Albus thought for a moment. Maybe when he was younger, he thought girls were pretty, but never liked any of them. "Uh… I don't know."

Scorpius nodded, like it was just the answer he had anticipated.

"And can you honestly say that you're _not _attracted to men?" Scorpius asked.

Albus was quiet for a much longer period this time.

"I…"

"It took me those two questions to figure myself out," Scorpius said. "What's your answer, Albus? I'm not trying to be pushy. I'm just trying to help you. If you're straight, it's better that you stop thinking about this and just move on. Don't cause yourself any undue stress. But if you're gay… if you can at least acknowledge it, it's easier to start accepting it. What's your answer?"

Albus stared at him, trying to swallow around the massive lump that had settled and lodged itself somewhere directly behind his Adam's apple.

"I… can't…" Albus said.

"Can't what?" Scorpius questioned. "Can't answer me?"

"I can't say that I'm not attracted to men."


	25. You Can Call Me Al

**_A/N: Early update. Just note: my lovely beta has a life and she can only go as fast as she can, so if you want to know why I put some space between updates, that's why. Patience. It's all for the greater good. _**

**_If you don't remember how the last chapter left off, it was Al admitting that he couldn't deny being attracted to men._**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 25.<strong>

**You Can Call Me Al**

"But that doesn't mean I am," Albus said.

"I know," Scorpius assured him. Standing, he looked down at Albus. He was clearly struggling with the questions, on the edge of a breakdown. He had his hands clenched on his thighs, and he wasn't looking at Scorpius

"I just… don't know what to think," Albus said, groaning. He threw himself onto his back. Scorpius sat down on the edge of his bed.

"I know it's a struggle," Scorpius said. "I went through it too. Believe me."

"With a little more grace, I'm sure," Albus said.

"People handle things differently," Scorpius said. "I assume you've probably tried to push these questions out of your head for a long time. I kind of just kept asking myself and finally gave myself answers. It's why I'm finally comfortable with who I am. I have to be. There's no changing it. I don't have that sort of power."

Albus nodded. "So if I am… what do I do?"

"You just realize that it's going to be okay," Scorpius said. "No matter what you think, it will be okay. I still have things to worry about—they don't go away all of a sudden. But it gets better. If you just let it get better."

"But I don't want to be gay… if I am," Albus said.

"I didn't either," Scorpius said. "I didn't wake up one morning and go 'hey I think I'll be gay.' It doesn't work like that. But you can't wake up one morning and say, 'hey, I think I'll be straight' either."

Albus nodded. "Right…."

"When you figure it out, you don't have to tell me either way," Scorpius said. "Just remember that what you're going through, I went through it already. I'm here to talk to you."

"Thanks," Albus said, pushing his hands through his hair.

"Have you told anyone else?" Scorpius wondered. "Rose?"

"No," he said. "I can't even think about it… my family… I just can't think about telling them. If it were true."

"If it were true," Scorpius agreed. "I'm glad you told me. Not that I… needed to know, just… so _you _know that you can talk to me. I know we haven't been friends very long, and things have ranged from awkward and rough to pretty good… but I'm here, Al."

"Al?" Albus repeated.

"Sorry. Albus," Scorpius said.

"Nah, it's fine. Friends call me Al," Albus said. "You're my friend."

Scorpius smiled at him. He had to admit, he was sort of embracing this newfound infatuation or whatever it was. If he cared about Albus, which he assumed he did, just based on the warm feeling in his chest, he could deal with it, but not let it get out of control.

"Well in that case, friends can call me Scorp. If it comes up," Scorpius said.

"All right," Albus said. "As if we weren't friends before."

"Nicknames make it official," Scorpius said, grinning.

"Exactly," Albus said.

Albus ran his fingers through his hair again, clearing his throat.

"Do you feel better?" Scorpius asked him.

"I don't know," Albus said. "Maybe? I'm not sure. I don't want to be gay. I don't. I don't want to think about it. It makes me feel sick… I feel sick."

Scorpius watched as the toxic thoughts crept back into Albus' head. It was amazing how the conversation would go from lighthearted to Albus clearly wanting to just let himself break down. Scorpius knew he wouldn't break down. Not in front of Scorpius.

But he didn't know what to say. He'd been through it too—the sick feelings, the sheer amazement that it was even a possibility, the want to just crawl in a cocoon of blankets and ignore the world, ignore life, and eliminate the poisonous thoughts—and he knew that Albus was struggling with it more than he had. Questions had been floating for two years at this point, and if he had come to no conclusions, then he was simply trying to push them out of his brain. Scorpius figured the haunting thoughts were worse than just accepting it… but Albus couldn't accept them.

Scorpius could barely accept it. At this point, while he decided that he himself was actually certain of Albus' sexuality, he was absolutely shocked. He couldn't believe that Albus could be gay. He was just… the last person ever that Scorpius would've expected. He was a Quidditch player, a seeker, a rumored ladies' man, a very manly bloke. When he thought about it though, the situation was one Scorpius had seen before. Albus was the slightly smaller Gryffindor version of Scorpius himself. He supposed he could be surprised, then.

It was a little shocking though. Someone like Albus, being gay. It probably meant, if anything, that Albus preferred a different type than Scorpius did—more feminine, perhaps? He couldn't be certain of course, and he was stereotyping based on typical gay relationships.

It sort of hurt. It illuminated a bit of a possibility, a flickering candle flame of hope in Scorpius—one he'd never had, and one he never really wanted while still at Hogwarts. He now had the slightest feeling of desire, for a relationship, because for once, it was not completely impossible.

-CD-

"I talked with Professor Thomas," Scorpius said. "We're not in trouble for not going to class."

"Did you have to tell him anything?" Albus wondered quickly.

"No," Scorpius said, leaning against the wall. "I have my ways."

"Did you Confund him or something?" Albus wondered.

"Like I would get away with that," Scorpius said, rolling his eyes. "I just told him it was with good reason, and he accepted it."

"He just accepted it?" Albus said.

"The teachers all trust me," Scorpius said.

"Well that's lucky," Albus said. "For some reason, on top of inheriting the good things from my father, everyone seems to think I've inherited his talent for trouble."

"Have you?" Scorpius wondered.

"Well I've probably had a few more detentions than you have," Albus admitted, shrugging.

Scorpius laughed. "I see."

"I'm not perfect," Albus said.

"I'm not either," Scorpius said. "I just try to be."

"I think we all sort of try," Albus said. "And that's what sets us up for failure."

"Nobody's perfect, Albus," Scorpius said, shaking his head.

"I wish," Albus said. He laughed a little and shook his head too, looking up at Scorpius. They were good friends now, Albus knew that. They knew each other's secrets. Stuff no one else knew about them. Though Albus knew Scarlet knew about Scorpius. Still. It was only him and Scarlet. And then only Scorpius knew about Albus.

It was nice to have a friend like that—someone who had been in a similar boat at some point. Rose would never understand how Albus was feeling, not exactly. For one thing she was straight, and for another, she was a girl. She wouldn't get it.

He sighed and looked up at Scorpius. His friend was looking back at him, liquid silver eyes glimmering in the light from the window. He looked back at him. It was impossible not to sigh. Maybe Albus needed to accept a few things about himself. Maybe it would make him happier. What other choice did he have?

If only he was more certain. He just didn't feel positive enough… He didn't know how he could be any _more _positive. The dreams, the thoughts, the feelings he occasionally had in his stomach. It had been two years of fretting over this. It was time for him to make some conclusions about himself and then deal with the consequences.

Scorpius grinned at him. "You look like you're thinking."

"I am," Albus said, leaning against the headboard. "This is sort of a big deal for me. I have… some problems. As I've told you… A good deal of them."

"Yeah." Scorpius nodded. "You never really told me why."

"Well the whole accepting I'm gay if I'm gay… well it might just make things harder for me," Albus said. "It's part of the reason I've struggled so much with the questions I've had…"

Scorpius nodded.

"It's not… anything I want to talk about," Albus said. "I can't right now. I've had too rough a day to think about it."

Scorpius nodded again. Albus could see he was struggling to find the right words, subtly chewing on the inside of his cheek as he thought. He didn't break eye contact with Albus, save to blink. Albus thought he looked pretty uncomfortable, sitting in the wooden chair. He wanted to ask him if he wanted to sit on the bed, but he wasn't sure if that was an allowable question. Would it have a bad connotation? He couldn't possibly be sure.

So this was life now. He had to watch what he said. He didn't want to lead Scorpius on, nor did he want to make things awkward if he was gay… Merlin.

Everything was changing. Everything was harder.

"You don't need to talk about anything," Scorpius said. "There's no one requiring you to do anything."

"Thank you," Albus said. "Everyone always tries to get me to talk about things. Rose. My parents. They all think that by talking I'll feel better. I feel… if I told them anything that I've told you today, things would just be worse…"

"You don't know that," Scorpius said.

"Then why haven't you come out to your parents?" Albus wondered. "You haven't right?"

"You're right…" Scorpius said. He frowned. He twisted his hands together and met Albus' gaze, instead of averting his eyes. "I haven't told them. You're right."

"So why not?" Albus said.

"You know why not," Scorpius said. "It would ruin a lot of things. My family has worked hard for the reputation that we have. Some people just don't understand it… I don't think my father would support me if he found out… He would be very against it. My mother would support me… I think… but my father…"

Albus nodded. "I know what you mean."

"But your parents… everyone says they're the nicest people in this world," Scorpius said.

"Even nice people have problems with some things," Albus said. "I don't think they would… be okay with it. I don't know why. My dad always teases me about girls, and he hears stuff from James and Lily, that I have more girls than anyone else in school… I don't know. They'll love me no matter what, but I don't want to hurt them like this. They're the best parents I could've asked for and I don't want them to feel like they're any worse. Nor do I want them to be mad at me…"

"How could they be mad at you?" Scorpius wondered.

"I don't know!" Albus said. "They just would be… for not being different.'

Scorpius shook his head at him, but Albus knew. He knew his parents. They loved him, but this would break their hearts. They would be angry. He knew it.

"Christmas holiday is coming," Scorpius said. "Maybe you should talk to them."

"No," Albus said. "You should talk to yours."

"No thanks," Scorpius said. "That's not a conversation I want to have."  
>"But it's a conversation you should have," Albus said.<p>

"We both think the other should share, but neither of us wants to," Scorpius said, laughing a little and shaking his head.

"I think if it were the opportune moment, it would be different," Albus said. "But what is the opportune moment?"

"I think we'll know when it happens," Scorpius said. "There's a moment when it's right to say these things, don't you think?"

"There must be," Albus agreed.

"I've just never found it." Scorpius shrugged and turned his head to look out the window.


	26. Skanky Girls and Gay Boys

**Chapter 26.**

**Skanky Girls and Gay Boys**

"We should get together before we have to go back to school," Scorpius said, leaning his head against the cool glass window of the train compartment.

"We should," Albus agreed.

Rose looked up from her book and then back at it, and Scorpius rolled his eyes. She had invaded their compartment, because she had taken to, in the past couple of weeks, not letting Albus out of her sight. After his day in bed, Scorpius was glad to say that Albus had rebounded completely. Albus had confided more in Scorpius, of course, than he had in Rose, and that made her jealous. She had taken to competing to be Albus' confidant, but Albus couldn't let her into the loop. As much as Scorpius knew the relationship between the cousins was made of steel and impossible to sever, Albus couldn't bring himself to share with her quite yet.

And so a new string of competition had sprung up between Scorpius and Rose. They liked to rub it in each other's faces if Albus came to them for some reason, just mention that they were talking in passing. There had been few opportunities, as Albus was feeling quite a bit better after his discussions with Scorpius, but at the same time, he did like to gloat. It gave him a warm feeling to think that Albus came to _him _to talk. Not to Rose. If anything, it fueled the ever-growing soft spot Scorpius was nursing for his new friend. But he had a bit of a purr in his chest when he was around Albus, and it made his heart leap to be one of his most trusted friends.

So yes, Scorpius had feelings for Albus. But it didn't matter. Albus wasn't even certain about whether or not he was gay, and if he decided he was, it would certainly not be ideal to rush him into any sort of relationship. Besides, Scorpius was his friend. He knew it would make things harder for Albus if he brought in the awkwardness of a "crush." Scorpius told himself that he would just have to hold out for the future. And that didn't truly bother him. He'd resolved himself to that the day he told himself that he was gay.

"I need help keeping my sanity when surrounded by Weasleys," Albus said. "We all seem to share the same personality quirks and we all grate on each other."

"You should come to a Malfoy Christmas," Scorpius said.

"Snuggled around the cozy hearth of the stone cold Malfoy Manor," Rose said with mocking cheeriness.

"I thought we were starting to become friends Rose," Scorpius said, rolling his eyes at her again. Albus just smirked at the two of them. He was annoyed at their competition, Scorpius could tell, but he knew that they were still better friends than they had been before.

"We are," Rose said. "I'm just saying."

"Malfoy Manor has changed quite a bit since the time your parents were there," Scorpius said. Rose flinched at the casual reference to the War, when Scorpius' current home was the headquarters for the Death Eaters.

"I'm sure it has," Albus said.

"My mother wouldn't have it any other way," Scorpius said. "She has a very warm personality, and that tends to reflect in her choice of décor."

"Do you take after her then?" Albus wondered.

"I'm a mix of my parents," Scorpius said. "A thorough mix. My father has a shockingly warm personality. One he chooses not to display to the public, for the most part."

The compartment door slid open, and Scarlet dropped into the seat next to Rose.

"Hello," she said cheerfully, pulling a licorice wand out of her pocket and starting to munch away. "The trolley should be here shortly, get your gold out."

"Where's Nick?" Rose asked.

"He fell asleep," Scarlet said. "We didn't get much sleep last night. A bit of a goodbye, you know."

"I'm not listening," Scorpius said, plugging his fingers in his ears.

Scarlet rolled her eyes now. "Cry me a river, Scorp. So Rose, how are things going with your lovely conquest? Monsieur Scamander?"

"There's really nothing," Rose said, her cheeks flooding with a characteristic Weasley blush.

"That doesn't look like nothing," Scarlet teased her.

Albus groaned. "If we're getting into discussions of my cousins sex life… well I'd just rather not."

"There's no sex life," Rose said. "Not really. Just a sex… day."

"Oh Merlin," Albus said. "Why are all you seventh year girls skanks?"

Rose and Scarlet both glared at him, and Scorpius chuckled. "I'm going to have to agree with Albus on this one. Rose, Scarlet, Natalia…."

"Don't you dare clump us with Natalia!" Scarlet said. "I'm technically in a relationship with Nick. It's exclusive. But casual. Casually exclusive."

"That's basically an oxymoron," Albus pointed out, putting his feet up on the seat and leaning against the wall by the door of the compartment.

"And Lysander and I… we've been basically in a relationship since your birthday Albus, just not publically, and he and I were saying goodbye for Christmas and…we… yeah…"

"A two week relationship and you're already shagging," Albus said. "What about that isn't skanky?"

"It's okay, Rose. I shagged Nick before we technically were in a relationship," Scarlet said.

"What happened to people waiting?" Albus wondered. "Until the time was right and things like that?"

"So let me get this straight, Mr. Hypocrite," Rose said. "You can shag Natalia for no actual reason other than sheer boredom, and I'm the skanky one?"

Albus colored. "Thanks for reminding me about that, Rose."

"And what about the other girls?" Rose said.

Scorpius was nauseous. He didn't want to hear about this. He didn't want to know how many girls Albus had ever been with without a second thought. It was something he didn't want to even have to think about.

"Shut up," Albus said.

"I just don't think this is fair," Rose said. "Natalia. Bex. Laura. Kira. Nessa—"

"You slept with Nessa Macmillan?" Scarlet echoed. "She was two years older than us!"

"Don't blame me for that one. James let me have the alcohol. I got drunk and she… was impressed with my Quidditch skills. That's how I lost my virginity. And I never slept with Kira. Laura, Bex, yes. Kira, no."

Scorpius cringed. How could Albus be gay with relationships like this?

"I'm just saying," Rose said. "I'm just saying. You can't pass judgment on me, Albus."

"Yeah, well next time," Albus said. "I'm going to wait."

-CD-

Despite his determination to come to some sort of conclusion about himself, Albus had yet to make one. Rose brining up all of his previous sexual… exploits… was not helping matters.

Nessa had been a very appealing girl, there was no denying that. She was a seventh year when Albus slept with her in his fifth year, but he had already turned sixteen. Of course it was amidst the time when he was questioning things about himself. He had been pleased with the relations he'd had with her—brief as they were. It had assured him that he was who he thought he was. James gave him hell for it, but at the same time, it was almost worth it.

How attracted her he actually was, he couldn't quite say. The problem with it all was, he sometimes figured he was attracted to her because he thought he should be.

In the past weeks, Albus had established only one thing: He did actually find some women attractive; however he found more men to be attractive. And there was the problem.

Then there was Bex and Laura. Bex was a year ahead of them, in Ravenclaw, and she and Albus had actually had a sort of a relationship. They were together for a while, had sex once, and Albus called it off because he found her to have no attractiveness to her. She had everything that _should _be attractive, good looks and a good personality. Still, he couldn't find the appeal. She thought he broke up with him because he didn't think she was good in bed. She was sort of right. The sex was good, but it had held little interest for Albus. She aroused him not with her looks, but by groping him.

Laura was a similar scenario. James set him up with her. She was a Hufflepuff, also a year old, and a good girl, or so it seemed. She was mostly out to be able to say that she had shagged Albus, and when their relationship crumbled due to an onslaught of arguments about Albus never really wanting to sleep with her, he was mostly relieved. He didn't want to force himself to be attracted to her.

And then of course there had been Natalia.

"Are you getting together with Lysander over Christmas?" Scarlet asked Rose brightly. "Nick and I are meeting up. He wants to meet my parents."  
>"He wants to meet your <em>parents?" <em>Scorpius said. "Wow. He's getting strings attached, isn't he? Not you for once."

"Oh we've both got strings," Scarlet said. "I didn't think they would happen. But they did. We were just talking one night… and we found out we actually really liked each other."

"I'm happy for you," Scorpius said truly, smiling.

"So are you getting together with Lysander?" Albus asked Rose.

"I'm sure we'll see him," Rose said. "So hopefully we'll figure some things out at that point."

"I envy you both," Scorpius said, sighing.

"You could have a real relationship," Rose said. "There're a million girls in Hogwarts that would love to be with you. I'm sure one of them out there is decent relationship material."

"I'll wait to find someone until after Hogwarts," Scorpius said. Albus could see, the way he looked away from both of the girls, that the conversation was starting to get awkward for Scorpius. He cleared his throat several times.

"Well we've got an interesting rest of the year ahead of us," Albus said. "I can't wait for the next Quidditch match."

"Yes, the competition for the cup is very interesting," Scarlet said. "It'll be interesting to see if we manage to kick your arses."

Rose rolled her eyes. "If you haven't done it before this point, do you really think you're going to do it now? Let's be rational Scarlet, please."

Albus laughed, smiling at her. "I think Rose has a completely valid point."

"Hey, let's not get into a captains' war, right?" Scorpius said.

"Captain and head boy," Albus said. "You could give me a detention."

"Nah, you'd be able to get him back," Scarlet said. "The Head Boy and the Head Girl have spent more time lazing about the compartment than they have spent doing their rounds."

"I wouldn't talk," Scorpius said. "Aren't you a prefect Scarlet? And Albus?"

"I figure we're seventh year prefects and nothing special happened to us, we can let the fifth and sixth years have their chance to compete for the Head Boy and Girl badges," Albus said.

"That's pure laziness," Rose said, yawning and settling back with her book.

"I wouldn't talk," Albus said.

The trolley clacked by, and they all purchased some sweets to share amongst them.

"I have such a soft spot for Chocolate Frogs," Albus said, unwrapping one of them and eating it. He tucked the card into his bag, ironically one with his father's face on it, to add to his ever-growing, quite massive collection.

"I got Voldemort," Scorpius said, tossing his card at Albus. "If you want it."

"I still can't believe they got him a Chocolate Frog card," Rose said.

"You don't have to be nice to get a card,' Albus said. "You just have to be famous. And you don't get much more famous than Voldemort." He tucked that card into his bag too, imagining the picture of his father having a staring contest with Voldemort's picture in his bag.

"Or your dad," Scarlet said.

"Yeah, no," Albus said. "Very few people manage to be more famous than my dad."


	27. Into the Lion's Den For the First Time

**Chapter 27.**

**Into the Lion's Den (For the First Time)**

"I really don't think…" Albus struggled. Scorpius just grinned maliciously and steered him by the shoulder across the platform.

"If we're going to hang out over this holiday, you're going to have to meet my parents," Scorpius said. "They're not fond of letting me meet up with people they don't quite know. Though I suppose if I said your name they would know _of _you."

"I really shouldn't keep my family waiting," Albus said, trying to wrench his shoulder out of Scorpius' grip. Scorpius shook his head, laughing internally. Albus struggling against him finally proved to Scorpius that he had the upper hand in strength.

"I'll meet your family if you meet mine," Scorpius said.

"For some reason that doesn't seem fair," Albus said. "You don't seem worried about meeting my family."

"Are you kidding me?" Scorpius said. "it's like walking into a lion's den. Literally."

He saw Albus roll his eyes and Albus finally relented. "Fine. Introduce me to your parents."

Since his first year, Scorpius' parents always met him in the same spot. They met a few pillars down on the right, close to the barrier. They were standing there the same as usual. When he was younger, they used to dress in Muggle attire, but ever since he learned to apparate and passed his test, they picked him up and they apparated directly away from the station. Their attire was distinctly more wizard-like, though not old-fashioned cloaks. Scorpius would look out of place with them, dressed in his jeans and Muggle jacket.

"Hi Mum," he said, leaning in to kiss his mother on the cheek and accept her hug. He shook his father's hand, and then his father pulled him in for their customary hug.

"Nice to see you, Scorpius," his father said, smiling at him.

"Mum, Dad, I thought I would introduce you to a new friend of mine. I thought I would invite him over at some point during the holidays. Al?" Scorpius turned. Albus had been hovering awkwardly on the edge of the greeting and he looked up, his ears turning red, when he hear his name.

"Al, these are my parents, Draco and Astoria Malfoy. Mum, Dad, this is Albus Potter," Scorpius said, introducing them all.

As his parents let the shock soak in, Albus offered out his hand. "It's, uh, nice to meet both of you."

"It's nice to meet you too!" Scorpius' mother said, breaking out of the shock first and accepting Albus' hand graciously. "I had no idea you and Scorpius were friends. He never tells us anything in his letters." She gave Scorpius an admonishing look.

"Sorry?" he offered as his father's face unfroze. He shook Albus' hand too.

"It is a pleasure to meet you," his father said, nodding and smiling a little. He seemed shocked though, and Albus seemed a little, Scorpius had to admit it, uneasy.

"We managed to be friends despite Quidditch competition," Scorpius said. "Scarlet and Rose get along well too. That helped."

"Rose?" his mother questioned.

"Weasley," Albus clarified.

"Oh," Scorpius' father said.

Albus nodded.

"Well I hope we do get to see you at some point over the holidays," Scorpius' mum continued. "And wish your parents and family a Happy Christmas for us, will you?"

"Sure," Albus said. "Uh… I mean, of course."

Albus cleared his throat. He seemed to be worried about his more casual way of speaking.

"I'm just going to go meet Mr. and Mrs. Potter first, and then I'll be right back," Scorpius said, turning away from his parents.

"That was awful," Albus said as they walked in the direction they had come from.

"How was that awful?" Scorpius demanded. "They seemed to really like you. You didn't embarrass yourself."

"Your father looked like he'd just seen me snogging with my sister or something," Albus said.

"Where the hell would you draw that comparison from?" Scorpius demanded incredulously.

"It was just that much shock—and horror," Albus said.

"I don't think there was any horror," Scorpius argued.

"Horror," Albus said, shaking his head.

"There was no horror," Scorpius insisted.

"Then you clearly weren't looking at his face," Albus said, throwing his hands up in the air.

"Oh shut up, would you?" Scorpius demanded.

They continued to argue about whether or not Scorpius' father had been horrified as they walked across the platform. His parents were waiting with Lily, and apparently James, the older brother, by a pillar not far off. Rose's little brother was standing with their parents not too far away, as they waited for Rose who was suspiciously nowhere to be seen.

'There you are!" James said. "What took you so long… oh…"

"Hi Mum," Albus said, hugging his mother. Most of the Potter family was staring at Scorpius, except for Lily, who was checking her watch. Albus hugged his father too and finally tried to get his parents to break their rude stare.

"Mum? Dad? I have someone to introduce to you. A friend of mine, actually. This is Scorpius. Malfoy. Scorpius Malfoy. Scorpius, this is my mum, Ginny and my dad, Harry. And you've met Lily and James."

As Scorpius shook first Mrs. Potter's hand, and then Mr. Potter's hand, the wave of realization dawned on him. He was shaking hands with the hero of the wizarding world. Harry Potter. And the man wasn't looking at him as if the animosity between their families remained. He was smiling, actually, kindly.

"Nice to meet you," Harry Potter said, smiling.

"You too, sir," Scorpius said. He didn't know what else to say. He called his own father 'sir' if they were being formal, or he was in trouble, or needed to do something. It was the first thing that came to his mind.

"Sir?" Mrs. Potter echoed. She laughed. "Merlin. Lots of respect then! It's good to meet you, Scorpius. You and Albus are friends? He never actually said anything about it."

"I'm not an overly wordy letter writer," Albus said, shrugging.

"You don't need to call me sir," Harry Potter said. "I get that enough from the new kids at work. You can call me Harry."

Scorpius stared. He doubted he would ever be comfortable calling Harry Potter simply Harry. That would be like… He couldn't even think of anything it would be like.

"All right," he said, struggling a little. Albus chuckled.

"Scorpius might come over at some point during the holiday, and I thought I'd introduce him before he just showed up," Albus explained.

"Oh, of course," Mrs. Potter said. "We'd love to have you at some point, Scorpius."

"Thank you," Scorpius said. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught Albus' older brother staring at him. James seemed in shock—more so than anyone else. And he didn't seem to approve.

-CD-

"So Scorpius Malfoy," Albus' father said as he and James squished Lily between them in the back seat of the car outside of King's Cross.

"Yeah?" Albus said. He knew his tone clearly said, "What of it?"

"You don't need to get grumpy," his mum scolded him turning around in his seat. "We just didn't know he was your friend. That's all."

"I can't believe you didn't tell them. You've been friends with him for a long time," Lily said.

"A long time?" his father questioned, backing the car out of the parking spot.

"Since September. October, more like," Albus said. It really was a shorter amount of time than he had thought—or than it felt.

"Still, you could've mentioned him in a letter," his mum said, shaking her head. "He seems nice enough."

"He's really nice," Lily said.

"And he's a good friend," Albus said.

"Well that's good," Ginny said.

"What house is he in again?" his father asked.

"Slytherin," Albus said. "But most Slytherins are decent nowadays. Besides, I met his father. He doesn't seem that bad."

"You met Draco Malfoy?" his father said, surprised. He darted a glance at Albus in the review mirror.

"Yeah, just at the station there," Albus said. "I met Mrs. Malfoy too. They're nice."

"Huh," his father said.

"You should've put a charm on the car again, Dad," Lily complained. "Albus got more muscles and they're _squishing _me."

"Did you ever think it might be me getting the muscles, Lily?" James wondered, flexing his arm. "I've been in Greece for six months now. I've got some curse breaking muscles."

"Curse breaking sounds so boring in Greece. Uncle Bill got to do it in Egypt. Where there were actual cool tombs."

"I'm glad my work excites you, Lily," James said, rolling his eyes.

"I think Albus' work will be more exciting," Lily said.

"What work is this?" Albus said.

"Playing Quidditch," Lily said as if it was obvious.

"Lily, can we not talk about this? I haven't heard from any scouts," Albus said. "I need to look at new career options I think."

"You could always be an auror," his dad teased, knowing full well Albus hated that prospect.

"No thanks," Albus said.

"I think that's what I want to do," Lily said. "One of us has to, right? But anyway, Al, I don't think you should give up yet. You've only played one game. There's still a lot of time."

Albus shrugged. They had about an hour of car ride left to get to Gillingham, where they lived, and he knew this conversation was probably going to continue.

"So Lily," he said. "How's your new boyfriend?"  
>He figured that was a way to get conversation off of him for a good while.<p>

"Lily has a boyfriend?" James said, whipping his head around.

"Yep," Albus said. "Why don't you share, Lily?"

Lily glared at him. "Fine, arsehole."

"Lily, watch your mouth," their mother scolded.

"Mum I'm fifteen," Lily said.

-CD-

"So how are things?" James asked Albus once they had both plopped onto the bed in James' room.

"Things are fine," Albus said, leaning against the wall, on top of the poster James had of one of the female Quidditch players from Appleby. Daphne Cross. He had a major thing for her, always had, since she started playing for the team in his fifth year.

"Fine huh?" James said. Albus knew he saw through him instantly. James always knew what "fine" meant and how Albus was in truth.

"Fine," Albus said. They would touch on it later, he could tell.

"Any girls then?" James wondered.

"Not really. I had this thing with Natalia Regis for a little while. Remember her?"

"Yeah," James said. "It didn't go anywhere?"

"Not really," Albus said. "And there's no one else. She wasn't really my type anyway."

James nodded. "I met someone."

"A Greek girl?" Albus wondered.

"Nope," James said. "You've seen her before."

"Huh?" Albus said.

"Turn around," James said.

Albus turned around, looking at the picture of Daphne Cross, who was holding her quaffle protectively against her hip and posing for the camera.

"What am I supposed to be seeing?" Albus wondered.

"My girlfriend," James said.

"Uh…?" Albus said, confused.

"My girlfriend Daphne Cross…" James said.

"Okay, you've definitely gone off the deep end," Albus said, shaking his head. "She's a poster, James."

"No, no, no," James said. "England was in Greece to play a Quidditch match against them, and I went to go see it with my mates… and we ended up meeting the England team, and Daphne is a starting chaser for them this World Cup. We got to talking… and we really hit it off. She's coming for Christmas."

"You're dating a Quidditch player? A National Team player?"Albus said.

"Yep. Since August." James said. "And shagging her too, I'll have you know."

"Merlin," Albus said. "Have you told Mum and Dad?"

"Yep," James said. "Mum wasn't fazed… nor was Dad really. Mum's a pro Quidditch player. And Dad saved the wizarding world. So what, it wasn't anything new to them, the whole famous person thing. But Mum never played for England."

"Can I talk to her?" Albus wondered. "About playing?"

"Yeah, sure," James said. "I don't know if she can get you any interviews, but she might be able to."

"Okay," Albus said. "That's better than nothing."


	28. The Basis of a Friendship

**Chapter 28**

**The Basis of a Friendship**

"How did you become friends with the Potter boy?" Scorpius' mother asked him as he settled in a chair by the fireplace with a large book.

"Well… classes. And Quidditch," Scorpius said.

"But you've had classes together since first year and you've both played Quidditch since your second year… How come it took this long for a friendship to develop?"

"I don't know," Scorpius said. "We probably grew up enough to get over our competition as opposing seekers."

"I suppose that would make sense," she said, sitting in the chair opposite him. "It just seems odd. You and Albus Potter would not be the first people I would pair up in a group of friends."

"I wouldn't either," Scorpius said. "I think it's just because our fathers didn't get along… But we get along fine. In fact, he's become something of another best friend to me in the past few months."

"Well I'm glad," she said. "I'm very glad. He seems like a very nice young man. Perhaps a little nervous…"

"He was hesitant to meet you two. Just being my parents, I mean… he knows stuff about you guys… and he's not prejudiced or anything, but he just… he wasn't sure what to expect. I've told him a lot about both of you… but in the end… I was nervous to meet his parents too," Scorpius said. "Like you said. You didn't think I would be friends with Albus. Well, that sort of makes it harder to meet each other's parents."

"Anything new other than that, honey?" she asked him. "A girlfriend perhaps?"

"I told you, Mum," Scorpius said. "I'm not dating until after Hogwarts."

"I don't know why not," she said. "Besides. I think you're lying. Your father hears a lot of stories about you."

"I don't know where Dad gets his information, but some of it is bound to be incorrect and exaggerated," Scorpius said, rolling his eyes.

"Fine," she said.

He could tell she didn't believe him, but he wasn't going to touch on the subject any longer.

His father walked into the room then, having a seat in the third and final chair.

"How is your school work coming along?" he asked first.

"Same as usual," Scorpius said. "I'm at the top of the class. Neck and neck with Rose Weasley, as usual. One of these days, I swear…"

"And Quidditch? You said you won your first match?" his father continued.

"We did," Scorpius said. "We beat Ravenclaw two hundred to forty."

"When do you have your next one?" his father asked. "We were thinking of coming to see it. That or the final."

"We play Hufflepuff in the first week of March, and we play Gryffindor in the final in the third week of May," Scorpius said. "You're more likely to see me do well if you come to the Hufflepuff game."

"Why won't you do well at the Gryffindor game?" his father wondered.

"I've resigned myself to having the second best seeking abilities in the school, leaving me far below the talents of Albus Potter," Scorpius said.

"You shouldn't bank on that," his mother said.

"I think it's very good of Scorpius to be able to see his weaknesses," his father contradicted. "Scorpius is a very good Seeker, Astoria, but we've both seen Potter play. If Scorpius accepts that he's a much better Seeker, then I think we can accept it too. He has some sort of eerie talents, the Potter boy. They're certainly Irish and British League level, if not National Team. Though, I wouldn't count him out in the next couple of years when the World Cup comes around again."

"If he's a friend of mine, you can call him Albus instead of Potter," Scorpius said. He knew why they did it. His father had called Harry Potter "Potter" most of their Hogwarts career, and until very recently, that had been how Scorpius referred to Albus. But now he laughed at the concept of calling him Potter, and they only ever called each other by their surnames in jest.

"I suppose we could," his father said, laughing a little. "It amazes me that you're such good friends with the Seeker that bests you most of the time."

"Well Albus will be the first to say that I best him intellectually. He is very smart, but he doesn't show it, usually, and he struggles terribly with Transfiguration. Still. He won't deny that I am a better student, and he is a better athlete."

"The basis of a friendship… founded on agreeing to be better than each other at something," his father mused.

"And to be worse," Scorpius pointed out. "But our friendship certainly wasn't founded on that sort of thing. Albus and I are just very similar people. You might find that hard to believe, but it's true."

"I don't think it's necessarily hard to believe that you're similar people," his father said. "I think that it's hard to believe you gave each other the chance to find that out."

Scorpius smiled. "We did though. It's nice. He's a really good guy."

"Is there anything else you want to talk about?" his mum asked. She was always nosy. She wanted to know everything in a summary, and then she would press for the details. Clearly, Scorpius' summary was not yet up to snuff—she was cutting the topics short.

Sometimes she bothered him. He always worried about his mother. People said that mothers always knew. Did she know about him and his… preferences? He often wondered if that was why she pressed him for information, hoping that one day he would snap, give in, and tell her what she already suspected. Merlin help him if that was the case. If his mother knew anything, it certainly was that, if put under a certain amount of pressure by Astoria or Draco, Scorpius would surely snap.

-CD-

Albus liked being home because he liked being able to sleep. His family let him sleep—mostly, they tiptoed around him. No one liked it when Albus was upset. So he started to use it to his advantage. He knew it was horrible of him, but even when he wasn't having a rough day, he would sleep for as long as he wanted. He had always enjoyed sleeping—despite the sometimes unsettling dreams he had—and it was nice to be able to sleep without having to get up in the morning or having to listen to the loud noises of the dorm mates getting up early on the weekend.

He finally emerged from his bedroom the first day of holidays, somewhere around eleven thirty in the morning. That wasn't particularly late for him, but it was considered particularly late in the Potter household. Lily and James were the epitome of early risers. His parents had the moderate internal clocks of people that had to get up for work in the morning on a regular basis.

"Are you okay?" James asked him as he stumbled groggily past James' room and into the bathroom. Albus splashed some water on his face. He needed to shave, and his hair was completely messed up, but he didn't look like he needed sleep, and Albus found that if his body told him he needed sleep, he needed sleep, but if it no longer looked tired, he wasn't tired. In fact, he was very refreshed.

"Yep," Albus said, rubbing his hand through his hair. "Got a good night's sleep. That's what counts."

"Merlin," James said. "Well Mum's making lunch. Hope you didn't want breakfast."

"Nope," Albus said. "I'm going to take a quick shower. I'll be down in a few moments."  
>He closed the door and stripped his clothes off.<p>

He'd had a good night's sleep. It really was. And the official decision had been made in his head that he was going to embrace any enjoyable dreams he had. There was no reason not to… Because while he hadn't quite made any full decisions about his sexuality in terms of labels (gay, bisexual, straight, or whatever), he did recognize that he found other blokes attractive. And while this was an unnerving thought to him, he would deal with the unnerving on a separate time and embrace his feelings.

He was lucky he got by James this morning without things being awkward. He had an… interesting dream, to say the least. In the starring role, of course, was Scorpius. This didn't surprise Albus. He was a decent looking person, obviously, and Albus was around Scorpius enough to assure that he might crop up in a dream… or two or three or four. As much as Albus didn't have any sort of feelings for him beyond friendship—he was dealing with things one step at a time, his body was physically rejecting all other possible emotional conflict and shoving it out of his brain—while, despite that, he was a attractive. Attractive enough for Albus to have a intimate, vivid and quite sexual dream about him.

Standing in front of the mirror, he groaned in remembrance. He woke this morning with his sheets soiled. While he cleaned it up, he tried to keep the dream out of his head until he was completely safe and secure in the bathroom. It could have been awkward, walking past James' room with an obvious hard-on. He shuddered at the very thought, actually.

The memory of it, reliving it in his head, was enough to reawaken that arousal. He sighed a little, reaching to turn the water on to a colder temperature. He stepped in the shower and pulled back the curtain, leaning against the chilled tile, his forehead pressed against the wall.

Most of it was just the image of Scorpius. It was his voice, too. The voice was associated with comfort and calm for Albus, something he liked quite a bit. He liked the warm feeling of being wrapped up by Scorpius' voice, despite the overly pretentious words that ran through his vocabulary. And the image of Scorpius' face, grinning, almost a crooked, and sometimes very mocking grin, accented by the glinting silver eyes.

Albus sighed. This was bad. It was bad that he felt this way. But he couldn't stop himself from feeling it. If he'd learned anything in the whole first term of school, it was not how to do a silent stunner, or the type of plant species that will kill men but not women, but it was that he couldn't stop himself from feeling a certain way, no matter how hard he tried.

Looking down, he was quite aware of the fact that his problem was not fading any time soon, despite the cold water. What else could he do? There was nothing he could do but… Well it was just so awkward. Just because Scorpius was his friend—and he didn't _want _to feel this way about him. But on top of that, Scorpius was gay. That made this more possible, which made it more real, at least in the screwed up head of Albus Potter. He had a lot of weird connections and conclusions bouncing around in there. He couldn't help it.

But the only problem was, Scorpius probably didn't like guys like Albus anyway—not that Albus hoped that, anyway, it was just a statement. He was probably, being as masculine as he was, the manlier half of a gay relationship, focusing more on the blokes more obviously gay… Unlike Albus.

Maybe Albus was weird. Wasn't he supposed to like someone a little less "tough?" Didn't that just make sense?

Of course he couldn't even be gay correctly.

-CD-


	29. A Very Happy Christmas to You and Yours

**Chapter 29**

**A Very Happy Christmas to You and Yours**

_Dear Scorpius,_

_I think I need to talk to you. I don't know. Face to face. I'm glad that this letter should get to you quickly. It's nice to know you're out there to put up with me. I'm fine. I hope your break is going well so far—all one day of it. Mine's not bad. Lots of family time, of course. It's one of the inevitable things about life if you happen to have an ounce of highly diluted Weasley blood in you. I for one… have more than an ounce of not-so-diluted Weasley blood, and so, I've seen all of my cousins, it feels like, in the last twenty-four hours._

_Was your family surprised that we were friends? My brother was the most shocked, I think. But he was ultimately quickly distracted by his girlfriend. Daphne Cross of the Appleby Arrows. I kid you not. I envy her. She's on the English team this time in the World Cup, if you didn't know. I'm probably going to talk to her, hopefully._

_Anyway, I didn't really want to talk about myself this whole time. But I do have a few more things to say. I've been trying to work my head around a few things since my birthday, which you know, I'm sure. I think I just want to talk about some of it. It's different talking to you over… Rose, my parents, or all of those people my parents took me to in order to dig inside my brain .I think, had they used Legilimency, they would have just been more confused. _

_But that's what I'm writing about, mostly. Hopefully we can get together to hang out soon? Maybe the day after Christmas? Tomorrow's Christmas Eve, and from about noon on the 24__th__ to eleven pm on the 25__th__, I'm booked. Family time, of course. What else would it be? Let me know what works for you. I'm free until a family New Year's Party—which you're invited to, if you'd like… _

_I suppose you're probably spending your holiday reading some of the larger, dustier textbooks you took out of the library before we left school. How you fit them in your trunk is beyond me. Even if you shrink them all. _

_See you soon, wish your family Happy Christmas for me. _

_Al_

Scorpius smiled at the letter. He could hear Albus writing it awkwardly, not sure exactly what to say. Albus didn't seem like the letter-writing type, and that thought was reinforced by the disorganized awkwardness of the note that arrived tied to the leg of a speckled screech owl.

He couldn't help but smile though. Albus wanted to talk to him. As much as Scorpius knew that they could certainly _not _have a relationship at this point, it was still a warm and fuzzy feeling. He had gotten Albus a present for Christmas, just because he figured it was a friend thing to do. And just because.

Scorpius found his quills and parchment to pen his reply.

_Dear Al,_

_I'm glad your time off is going well so far. Family time is a good thing. I know, despite the smallness of my family, I will be spending a lot of time with my parents this break. It's good to catch up with them. Especially since a lot of them are older and already off in the world doing stuff… right? _

_I really hope we can get together. The day after Christmas will work fine for me. Just let me know time and place, and I'll be there. _

_It's good that you're thinking about things. It's better than repressing them. I don't want to sound like those idiot healers your parents dragged you to, but I know one thing—repression never works. It didn't work for me. It ate me alive, a lot more quickly than it has eaten you, I suppose. You're better at handling that sort of thing though—the being eaten alive. It's just not good for you to handle it. You should not feel like you have to or need to._

_In the fear of sounding like those healers, I think I'll stop until we are face to face. I find that letters can sound awfully… _preachy _in comparison to speaking to you. Especially my letters. I have absolutely no thought on my diction when I'm writing a letter. I applaud myself for even using contractions! _

_So James has a Chaser girlfriend? Of course I know who she is. You may be the better Quidditch player, Al, but I'm still well versed in the British and Irish League. She's fared pretty well on the English team, and I certainly hope I get to see them play before they lose—hopefully they'll make it to the final. We should go watch the World Cup. We might have to travel a good distance—I think it's being hosted in India next summer. But while they're busy qualifying, we can make the plans. I'm certain they'll at least qualify to actually play in the real tournament. _

_You should talk to her. She'll probably have some good insight on how to handle the stress of dealing with recruiters—and don't say you don't know if you'll have to deal with that stress. I've heard too much professor talk to put up with that, Albus. They know that there are some coming to your match against Ravenclaw. Either way, however, I think Daphne Cross would be a great help. Appleby got her from Beauxbatons, right? Or am I thinking about the other Appleby Chaser? Or both. I'll have to look that up. Daphne doesn't sound very French… but no one said you had to be French to go to Beauxbatons…That's why Appleby was there, I'm sure: to check out the British players on French soil._

_Anyway, Albus, reply to me about the time and place for us to meet, and I'm certain I'll be able to make it. It's just up to you to choose the atmosphere, all right? I hope your break continues in a good fashion! _

_Happy Christmas to you and yours from the Malfoy family (though mostly me, of course),_

_Scorp_

He sent the letter back with Albus' owl, watching as the speckled bird soared through the sky and eventually disappeared somewhere to the east. The Potters lived in Kent and the Malfoy house was two hours and thirty minutes (by Muggle car) to the west, in Wiltshire.

They could meet in the middle in London, he figured, if that was what Albus wanted to do. Scorpius just wanted to see him. And he realized completely that his little "crush" was getting bad.

-CD-

Albus looked up from his work, across from him, Teddy and Victoire were heatedly kissing on the sofa. Their on again off again relationship was just the sort that usually grated on Albus. But he loved them both. Victoire was a sweetheart. She was just sort of person that was obscenely nice and no one actually deserved to be her friend. And then there was Teddy—his second older brother, who had taught him and taught James everything they knew. Teddy had a very good talent for getting into trouble.

Lily looked thoroughly nauseated next to Albus as she read her book on animagi. James had drifted to sleep at some point, but occasionally came back to life and would look kind of disgusted. Albus found that most people were disgusted by passionate and public kissing until they were the ones doing it.

He turned back to his broomstick, working the polish into the handle. The whole room smelled like broomstick polish. He was thankful to live in a house of Quidditch players, where the smell was more welcome. Some people found it too strong. For Albus… it was addictive.

Holding the broomstick at arm's length, watching as it glinted in the light.

"It looks good," Lily said.

"It's needed a polish," Albus said.

"You love that broomstick way too much," James contributed, not even opening his eyes to make his comment.

"I know," Albus said, smiling. "It's a pretty good broomstick though. Pro quality for a school player."

"Yes, yes, I know," James said.

Teddy and Vic finally broke their kiss, both flushed, but very happy.

"I gotta go now, love," she told him, touching his face. As his skin flushed under her touch, his hair turned a more gold color, as he allowed it to reflect his mood.

"Bye," he said. "Love you."

"Love you too," Vic said, turning on her heel and disappearing with a crack.

"I have to go too," James said, checking his watch. "I'm meeting Daphne in Diagon Alley."

"I'm flooing to Abigail's house," Lily said. "We're exchanging presents now."

"Bye then," Albus said as the two of them took their leave, James just disappearing, and Lily clambering into the fireplace.

"Well then," Teddy said.

Teddy was staying in James' room while he visited. He had a flat in London, but the Potters always welcomed him home for the holidays, to stay as long as he would like to. He was the fourth Potter child—and in many ways, the first. Albus knew his father was every bit a father to Teddy as well, and it was nice. Teddy was his other older brother, another brain to give Albus some advice.

"So how is school going for you, Albus?" Teddy wondered.

'It's school," Albus said. "Just working through it all… wanting to murder myself in Transfiguration."

"The usual," Teddy said. "James said you still want to play Quidditch?"

"Yeah," Albus said. "I don't think it's my destiny to be an auror."

"Nah, I'll bet you take after your mum," Teddy said. "I know I do, apparently."

He changed his hair to a shocking shade of pink, and then back to honey gold.

"Maybe," Albus said.

"James also said you've got a new mate," Teddy said. "Someone by the name of Scorpius Malfoy?"

"Yeah," Albus said.

"So a Potter and a Malfoy… friends," Teddy said.

"Yeah…" Albus said again.

"Seems kind of weird," Teddy said. "But hey, if he's a good bloke."

"He is a good friend," Albus said.

"That's what Rose was saying when I saw her at Ron and Hermione's last night before I came here this morning…" Teddy said.

"Does everyone make a point to talk about me?" Albus said. "People should trust that I'm fine."

"Well… I just asked. I haven't seen you since you left for Hogwarts… Is it so wrong to ask how you all are?" Teddy said, laughing a little. "Sorry to offend, Al."

"I guess it's fine," Albus said. "I mean, I'm doing pretty well… Nothing's perfect… I guess. I mean, I've had my problems, and they haven't gone away, but I'm getting better at handling things."

"We're all just wondering if you'll ever tell us," Teddy said.

"Huh?"

"Will you ever tell us why you were depressed—are depressed?" Teddy wondered. "It didn't just happen. Something made it happen."

"It's nothing," Albus said. "it's not important."

"Obviously it was important," Teddy said.

"I think maybe one day I can tell you, but right now, I'm still trying to figure things out," Albus said.

"But you're trying to do it all by yourself," Teddy said. "If you let me in the loop… I could give some advice. I've been through eight more years of life than you have, Albus. I might have a few things up my sleeve that I know. That could help you."

"I'm not trying anything all by myself," Albus said. "Scorpius has been a good friend to me, Teddy."

"So you tell a Malfoy who you've barely been friends with three months, but you don't tell anyone in your family, Al?" Teddy said. "That's what we're all here for, you know."

"I know," Albus said. "But sometimes it's better to share things with someone who hasn't known you since you were a day old."  
>"I guess that makes sense," Teddy said. "But you shouldn't be worried about talking to any of us. That's what we're really good for."<p>

Albus simply shrugged.


	30. The Final Acceptance

**_A/N: Hello everyone! Presenting the chapter that has the moment you've all been waiting for. _**

**Chapter 30**

**The Final Acceptance**

The warmth of the Leaky Cauldron seeped through the layers of Scorpius' cloak. He took it off and sat comfortably in a straight backed wooden chair in front of the fireplace. The door to the pub opened, and Albus pushed in, shaking snow out of his hair and running his hands through it. He had a package wrapped in brown paper under his arm.

"Hey," he said, putting the package on the table and taking his cloak off too. He had a scarlet sweater on, which looked new and clean, with a gold A scripted on the front.

"Hi," Scorpius said.

"Did you have a good Christmas?" Albus wondered.

"I did," Scorpius said. "You?"

"Fine, I suppose," Albus said. "The family treads lightly around me. They worry too much about me, every single one of them, even the ones that are younger than I am. It's starting to bother me a little. I think I could be the happiest person in this world, and they would still think I was a risk to myself."

"A risk to yourself?" Scorpius wondered.

"They all think that just because I'm depressed… or was… that I would want to hurt myself," Albus said.

"Have you ever wanted to?"

"Sometimes I would think about it," Albus said. "But that was back in fifth year—when things were really bad. I wondered if it was even worth it to keep... I don't know. I get that it is, now, and I can't even fathom doing anything like that… My poor family. I don't know."

"It is worth it," Scorpius said. "I'm glad you don't have feelings like that anymore." His stomach clenched at the thought of Albus hurting himself. He didn't want to think it was possible for Albus to be so depressed to want to harm himself, perhaps even kill himself.

"I don't," Albus said. "I mean… things aren't perfect, but I'm not that… depressed anymore."

"Good," Scorpius said. "So what do you want to do today?"

"Well I was thinking we could have some butterbeer…" Albus said. "And I got you something… for Christmas. And then, if you wanted… there are a few things I want to talk about, and we can go back to my house… If you don't want me to bore you with my life over holiday, I completely understand."

"I don't mind," Scorpius said. He would be more than okay with having Albus tell him his problems until the end of time. He cared about him. He wanted to make sure that he was okay, that he was at least sort of happy. He couldn't stand aside.

"If you're sure…" Albus said. "We can just hang out there too. James and Lily and my Mum will be there, but Dad had to go into the office today."

"Okay," Scorpius said. He hoped the Potters would like him.

"But first," Albus said, pushing the package across the table to Scorpius. "Open this."

Scorpius recognized that it was a book very quickly. He pulled the paper off of it, and revealed the thick book. It was black, embossed with brilliant gold writing, "The Seeker's Analytical Guide."

"What is it?" Scorpius wondered.

"It's the ultimate analytical dissection of Seeking and ways to Seek, as well as a part of the book devoted completely to the science of the Golden Snitch and the way it is made," Albus explained. "I've read it. It's actually pretty informative, but I wouldn't change my style much. In fact, I already do a good bit of what it says… There is also some stuff in there I disagree with. But it definitely could be helpful to some people."

"Aren't you worried that I might become a better Seeker than you, and perhaps beat you in our match, for reading this?" Scorpius wondered. "Or are you just that cocky?"

Albus grinned. "I don't think you'll beat me. I just thought you would enjoy it. You like the scientific approach to things, the dissected methodology."

"Yes I do," Scorpius said. "I'm sure it'll be very interesting. Thank you."

"Happy Christmas," Albus said. "And you're welcome."

Scorpius smiled at him. "I have something for you too."

He brought out his own package, handing it to Albus across the table. Albus tore away the paper to see the small box Scorpius had put his present in. Albus lifted the lid to reveal the two pieces of glimmering official paper, in two rectangles.

"Scorp…" Albus said. "These are tickets the major qualifying match between Britain and France for the World Cup in May…"

"Yes, I know, I bought them," Scorpius said.

"But they're box seats…" ALbus said. "Top box. Minister's box…"

"Yes, I know," Scorpius said, laughing a little. "I didn't accidentally buy box seats, Albus."

"But that's really expensive, Scorp…" Albus said. "You shouldn't have done that. I can't… accept that…"

"Why not?' Scorpius said. "You're my best mate, Albus, I might as well get you a worthwhile present."

And Scorpius couldn't deny that his feelings for Albus had played a bit of a part in his purchase of this perhaps over-the-top gift.

"But…" Albus said. "You… can't… do that."

"I already did," Scorpius said. "Two tickets. For you and a friend."

"Well you'll take the other ticket," Albus said. "You'll be coming with me, right?"

"Well if you want…" Scorpius said.

"Who else would I take?" Albus said. "Of course you should come."

"I thought you would want to take Rose," Scorpius said. Secretly, he had been hoping that Al would want him to go with him.

"No," Albus said. "I think you should come."

"Well that means a lot to me," Scorpius said. "Thank you."

"No, I think I should probably thank you. It's an amazing gift, Scorpius. And as much as you shouldn't have… Thank you."

"You're welcome," Scorpius said. "I'm glad you like it."

-CD-

For some reason, the only thing Albus could think of us as he and Scorpius walked up the walk to the Potter house, was that he desperately needed his family's approval of Scorpius. Just as his friend. He was a Malfoy, but he was Albus' best friend, other than Rose.

He could tell Scorpius was nervous. The animosity that had existed with their families in the past hung low on Albus' head as well. He knew that Scorp was by no means immune to the possibility that there could never be anything but tension between the Potter and Malfoy families.

"Hey, Scorpius," Lily said, walking past them and into the living room with a bowl of popcorn.

"Hi," Scorpius said, laughing a little.

"Hey boys," Albus' mum said, walking out of the kitchen too. "Hi Scorpius, how are you?"

"I'm very well, thank you Mrs. Potter," Scorpius said politely.

Albus rolled his eyes. "Knock the tone down a social class or two, Scorp. We're the Potters. Not the Minister of Magic."

Albus' mum laughed, and Scorpius blushed a little, but didn't say anything.

"Can I get you two anything?" Albus' mum asked him.

"We'll probably be hungry in a little while," Albus said. "But we'll come down then. We're going to go upstairs to… hang out for a little while." He figured his mum would think it a little odd if he told her that they were going to go and talk.

"Okay," she said. "Just let me know if you want me to whip up a snack or something."

"Thanks, Mum," Albus said.

"Yes, thank you, Mrs. Potter," Scorpius said.

"You're both welcome," she said.

Albus led the way, starting up the stairs with Scorpius behind him. James had his door closed, and the sound of music drifted out from underneath the door, as well as gentle conversation. A girl's voice came out there too. Albus' stomach clenched. A professional Chaser was most likely in his house. James had to be pretty confident with her, if he was going to show a twenty-one-year-old girl his childhood bedroom.

Albus pushed open the door to his room, revealing the somewhat-tidy space.

"So this is my room," Albus said, gesturing around. Scorpius was silent as he took in the Quidditch posters and the Gryffindor banner, the scarlet bedspread. And the pile of clean clothes on the desk.

"It looks lived in," Scorpius said. When Albus frowned, Scorpius laughed. "That's a good thing. When I come into my room at home after going to school, it looks a bit like a museum."

"Oh," Albus said. "Yeah."

"So what did you want to talk about?" Scorpius wondered as Albus flopped on his bed.

"You can sit down," Albus said.

Scorpius took a seat on the other end of the bed, somewhat stiffly. Albus could see he was a bit uncomfortable. He didn't know whether or not he could bring his feet up, or if he would make things feel odd…

"Okay…" Al said. "I just want to… talk about a few things."

"Okay."

"I… I've been thinking my life through a little these past couple of days," Albus said. "And since my birthday. You know that…"

"I do," Scorpius said. As soon as the conversation was more relaxed, he pulled his feet up underneath him.

"I just… have been unsure. You know. Unable to come to any conclusion…"

Scorpius nodded. Finally, his gaze met Albus' and a wave of calm washed over Albus. The silver eyes were comforting, soothing, and they brought the breath back into Albus. He felt like he could say whatever he needed to say and no one would judge him, or look at him oddly. Scorpius was the one person in this world that he could talk about this to. He was the one person who understood. Rose would listen, Rose would help him, but she didn't know.

"Scorp, I think… I think I'm gay," Albus said, finding it so easy and yet so difficult to say this.

"You think, or you know?" Scorpius said. The question, though a little pointed, was the sort of question Albus needed to answer. He was glad to have it asked.

"I know I must be," Albus said.

"You _must be _or you _are?" _

"I am," Albus said. "It's the only thing that makes sense. I'm attracted to men, and I like the idea of being in a relationship with another bloke. I think I can be attracted to a woman, maybe, but I'm much more attracted to other…. Every time I would have sex with a girl I would picture a man… except for the first girl. I liked her…" Albus put his head in his hands.

"Al…" Scorpius said. "I know you don't want to be gay. I know that. But it's a good thing that you've accepted it. I'm glad you have. You may just be a lot happier. You just need to… let it be. You'll be okay."

"But…" Albus said. "There's more… I'm confused, Scorpius.'

"About what?"

"About why I like the sort that I do… Quidditch players. Toned blokes. Masculine men, "Albus said. "That's not normal is it?"

Scorpius stared at him. "I don't know if it's normal, Albus. But it's okay."

Albus looked back up at him. Scorpius looked back intently, keeping the strict, warm eye contact. Scorpius cleared his throat and Albus twisted his fingers together.

Suddenly, Albus leaned forward, acting only on impulse. He felt Scorpius tense as Albus put his hand on his shoulder, pulling him forcefully toward him. He pressed his lips against Scorpius' who practically jumped in shock. After a moment of stiffness - Albus was not even thinking- Scorpius began to kiss him back. Albus smiled against his lips.


	31. Albus Potter's List of Things to Regret

**_A/N: Hi guys. Please don't hate me and please don't get grumpy. Just read the chapter and then read the author's note at the end. I promise I am not discontinuing this fic and will continue to post every other day/every day. So don't worry about that. You'll just hate me in like three paragraphs. Cappy_**

**Chapter 31**

**Another Entry on Albus Potter's List of Things to Regret **

Scorpius had soft lips. They were wonderful. They were what Albus imagined in his dreams. The kiss was wild. Scorpius pushed him onto his back, so that Albus was underneath him, kissing him.

The crotch of Albus' jeans began to feel a little tight. He was embarrassed that Scorpius would see it, or feel it. But this was something that Albus had had a dream about. Many times.

This was the first time Albus had kissed another man… It was his first gay kiss. And it was startlingly welcome. His heart beat picked up its pace, thudding against his chest as Scorpius continued to kiss him ravenously. Albus started as he felt the wet tip of Scorpius' tongue press against his sealed lips. It swept carefully across them, and Albus froze.

"Al?" Scorpius said, pulling away gently. Albus looked up at his friend, whose eyes were glinting with mischief—and, if Albus wasn't mistaken, a little bit of lust. Scorpius was breathing raggedly, his chest moving rapidly up and down. His lips were swollen, red.

"I…" Albus started, stumbling. "I can't… Scorp… I can't do this." He put a hand on Scorpius' shoulder, pushing him away. Scorpius sat up, taking a deep breath.

"I just can't," Albus said.

"Why… why did you do that?" Scorpius wondered.

"I… I don't…" Albus said. "I don't know…"

"You kissed me, Albus," Scorpius said. "If you didn't want to, then you shouldn't have."

Scorpius' eyes were darkened with a shocking anger. Albus couldn't help but recoil in shock. He wasn't used to anger from Scorpius. Even when Gryffindor beat Slytherin in Quidditch. He supposed everyone got angry, but it seemed to be something Scorpius was incapable of. Until this point.

"I'm sorry…" Albus said. "I was just…"

"Testing things out?" Scorpius said. "Checking to make sure you're really gay, is that it? Experimenting?"

"No," Albus said. "I kissed you… because I wanted to kiss you. But I can't… I shouldn't have, Scorpius. I'm not ready to kiss anyone. And you're my friend."

"Your friend who is very much… into you? Is that what I should say?" Scorpius wondered.

"_Into _me?" Albus repeated. "You mean you want to be my… huh?"

"No that's not what I mean!" Scorpius said, but he seemed unsure himself. "I'm into blokes. And because of that I've never actually been kissed before, Albus!"

Albus froze. He stared.

"You've never kissed someone before?"

"No," Scorpius said, shaking his head. His hair flopped attractively in front of his eyes as blush crept into his cheeks. "I'm gay, Albus, and I've known it long enough that I haven't been in any relationships. And most of Hogwarts save for two people thinks I'm straight, so no one has offered to kiss me, if you know what I mean…"

"Oh."

"Exactly," Scorpius said, nodding. "You shouldn't have done that. I wanted my first kiss to be… well, romantic… I guess. But with someone that wanted to kiss me. Because they wanted to be with me."

Albus stared.

"But you don't want to be with me, Albus. Do you?"

Albus swallowed. What was he supposed to say? He did… find Scorpius very attractive. And the very sound of his voice lulled Albus into comfort. He wanted to see Scorpius to be around him, to have him to talk to. But he couldn't do this. He was not ready to be in a relationship with a bloke. The whole… gay thing was too new to him for that.

"I don't… I don't know," Albus said.

"Look," Scorpius said. "I know things are rough for you, right now. You don't need this to stress you out, and I don't need an answer. You can think about it for a while. But if you do figure it out, let me know. You said you're interested in more masculine men… well so am I."

Albus stared at him for a while longer. He'd been staring so much, he was starting to feel very rude.

"I feel horrible."

"I don't want you to feel horrible," Scorpius said, smiling a little. "It wasn't a bad first kiss, if I do say so myself. I apologize for reacting to it in such an animalistic manner."

Albus grinned. As much as the way Scorpius spoke sometimes grated on him, it was nice to know he was back to his usual, pretty cheerful self.

"It's okay," Albus said. "It was pretty good."

They sat there quietly for a moment.

"This doesn't… hurt our friendship?" Scorpius wondered.

"Nah," Albus said. "Most friendships, if they're between a pair of people inclined in the same way, I guess, have an incident like this at some point."

Scorpius nodded and Albus smiled.

He didn't know what to think though. From the mumblings and chopped up sentences—as well as the sort of mysterious things Scorpius had been saying—Albus was left to wonder. It seemed, if anything, that Scorpius might be interested in more than friendship between them. Albus wasn't quite sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

Albus wasn't ready to be in any sort of relationship. He still had to figure things out. But… he had had far too many dreams about Scorpius to let this thought slip away. He didn't feel that way, he thought, but Albus was never really sure of his feelings.

"But thank you," Albus said. "For always being there for me. You know?" He squirmed at the feeling of sharing his emotions with his best friend, but it always seemed to him that Scorpius was okay with being in touch with his emotions.

"Yes," Scorpius said. "Of course. You're welcome Albus. I just… I have a question."

"Go ahead," Albus said.

"Are you going to tell anyone else?' Scorpius wondered.

"I don't know yet," Albus said. "I feel like maybe I could tell Rose, but some part of me isn't sure I want to yet… I know she would be supportive, but I think I have to figure some things out about my life."

Scorpius nodded. "That makes sense. I think… I think it might be time for me… to tell my parents."

Albus stared. "Tell your parents?"

"Yeah…" Scorpius said. "For some reason… you telling me this…"

"Maybe you should," Albus said. "It would be a weight off of your chest."

"Yeah," Scorpius said. "And I'll have to tell them eventually."

-CD-

Scorpius' insides were flip flopping like a dead fish. It wasn't because of the resolution he had made—to tell his parents. It was because he had just experienced the first kiss of his life.

Kissing Albus was… basically a dream come true. While Albus had no right to do that, Scorpius couldn't keep his heart pounding as he headed up the walk to his house that afternoon. He figured it was a first kiss of the sort that people remembered. He wanted to remember it.

He hadn't expected himself to react the way he did, pushing Albus over like that, but he had been taken swiftly out of his mind. The only thing he could think about was kissing Albus… of going even further. The rationality that Scorpius so prided himself in having, had slipped swiftly from his mind at the touch of Albus' lips on his.

And the very smell of Albus had sent his mind reeling. He smelled like broomstick polish and soap and for some reason that spilled Scorpius over the edge.

But Albus had not wanted it, and just as Scorpius was new to kissing, he was also new to the pain of rejection. He shrunk back at the feeling of Albus pushing him away. In fact, anger flared up in him again. If Albus hadn't wanted to kiss him, then Albus shouldn't have kissed him. Scorpius imagined that any gay boy with little experience, whether he had feelings for the person launching the kiss on him or not, would react the same way. He had been flooded with a lot of intense emotion upon the kiss and he wanted to keep it going. He'd never had anything like that before, and naturally he enjoyed it. Albus should have not even tried it.

Not only was the rejection painful, but the renewed hope in Scorpius was sharp. He had two sides warring in his body. One fought for the hope. If Albus was attracted to the more masculine sort, if he was even willing to kiss Scorpius, it elevated his spirits. The other side argued against that, crushing any aspiration. Albus was not ready for a relationship, or anything for the sort. Just kissing Scorpius had thrown him for a loop.

Scorpius groaned, closing the door to his family's house behind him. It was starting to really snow outside, and he dusted off the shoulders of his cloak, taking his boots off and waving them into the closet with his wand.

Albus had to have been overwhelmed. He wasn't used to kissing other blokes. That had to shock him.

Scorpius was left to contemplate and analyze. He prided himself on being good at both of those things, but this was all too confusing. If anything he liked his best mate even more, and in a completely non-platonic way.

As he had kissed Albus, truth be told, all he could think about other than how much he cared about him was how much he wanted to do so much more.

"Scorpius?" his mum said, appearing out of the main few rooms of the house.

"Hi," he said,

"Are you all right?" she asked. "You look a little flushed."

"It's chilly," he said, gesturing outside.

"Oh," she said. "I thought I heard you make a noise."

"No, I'm all right, Mum," he said, smiling at her.

"Did you have a good time with Albus?" she asked, walking with him as he headed toward the parlor.

"Yes," Scorpius said. "His parents are very nice. Very hospitable. His brother is seeing a Quidditch player on the English National Team. We got to meet her. She's very nice."

"Which player?" She pushed open the door to the parlor, which immediately let out a burst of heat. In their house, in order to keep rooms warm in the winter, the doors were always closed where the fires were, to keep the heat contained. Beyond the doors to the parlor, his father was sitting in a high backed chair, reading the newspaper, his face hidden.

"Daphne Cross," Scorpius said, waving his wand to get himself a small glass of firewhiskey to warm him up. His mother gave him a reproving glance; she didn't much care for the stuff.

"The Chaser?" she questioned as they moved to sit down in the two other chairs by the massive fireplace. The heat tingled Scorpius' face, and it glimmered off his mother's honey colored hair.

"Yes," Scorpius said.

Draco Malfoy folded his paper up, looking at his son with a slight smile on his face.

"You had a good time then, Scorpius?" he questioned.

"Yes," Scorpius said. "Albus' parents are quite nice."

"That's good to hear," his father said, nodding his approval. "I was hoping there would no longer be any animosity between our families."

"There doesn't appear to be…" Scorpius said. "As far as I can tell. They were very kind to me."

"Good," his father said. "I'm glad our name did not ruin this friendship for you."

Scorpius sighed. His father was a fairly negative man. Scorpius had seen him rant for hours on how he had singlehandedly ruined the life of his wife and child at age sixteen, even though they weren't in his life yet. He claimed that he had destroyed every possibility for them. Scorpius had seen him, once, go so far as to burst into tears. His mother had shooed him from the room and gone to comfort her husband.

In Scorpius' mind, he was a good father. His life had not been ruined, and his possibilities had not been destroyed. He was happy. There was nothing more he could ask of that. These people were there for him. They loved him. And no matter what, they were his parents. No matter what they said in the next few minutes, they were his parents.

"Mum?" he said, looking away from the fireplace and to the left at his parents. "Dad?"

"Yes?" she said.

"I have something I need to tell you…"

_**A/N: PLEASE DON'T HATE ME! We all know this is a slash fic and that people end up together, so remember that. I get that it took 30 chapters to get THIS far, and I promise it doesn't take another 30 chapters to go anywhere else. Just give Albus a few chapters to get his head screwed back on right, and I promise that there will be more, happier action in roughly eight chapters. And since I post every other day or sometimes every day, it's really not that long of a wait. It's only like a week and a half in the time of the fic anyway. But anyway, hope you like the next chapter once I post it... things are about to get tense. **_


	32. Scorpius Did Not Get a Girl Pregnant

_**A/N: Hey everyone! Thanks for all of you millions of reviws for the last two chapters! Good to know you all get that everything I do I do for the good of the plot. Thanks for that!**_

**Chapter 32**

**In Which Scorpius Did Not Get A Girl Pregnant**

"What is it, honey?" his mum asked reaching over to put a bony hand on his shoulder. "You look white as a ghost."

Scorpius took a deep breath, and he almost laughed at how shaky it sounded. He wasn't usually this nervous—about anything. Even when he told Albus he hadn't been this nervous. But suddenly, his legs felt like jelly, and he was glad to be sitting. The only thing now was to get his vocal chords to vibrate. How did he do that again?

"Scorpius?" his mum continued, rubbing his shoulder. "What's wrong?"

"He looks very nervous, Astoria. Give him a minute to gather his wits," his father said, leaning forward out of his chair, toward his wife and son.

Scorpius cleared his throat. "I have something important to tell you."

"Important?" his mother repeated. "Are you all right, honey? Is everything okay?"

"I just would really like it if you weren't angry at me after I say what I need to say," Scorpius said.

"Why would we be mad at you?" his mum said, her concern very obvious in her green eyes.

"I think I might disappoint you," he said. He felt like a little kid.

"Why—" his mum began, but his father cut across her.

"Did you get a girl pregnant, Scorpius?" he demanded, his eyes suddenly wild.

"Oh Merlin!" his mum said, jumping.

"What is her name?" his father said. "Who do we need to meet? What do you two want to do about this?"

"Dad, Dad," Scorpius said, waving a hand to get his father's attention. "No one is pregnant. I did not get a girl pregnant."

"Well by the way you were acting," his father said, "I would not have been surprised."

"Yes, well, that doesn't mean you should be relieved," Scorpius said.

"Were you expelled?" his mother demanded.

"Oh Merlin!" Scorpius said. "You two need to just wait and listen instead of guessing. For one thing, Mother, I am Head Boy and I have grades higher than most that Hogwarts has ever seen. For another, the school would already have informed you in the event of my expulsion."

"All right," his father said. "Let's calm down a little, Astoria, shall we?"

She nodded, and they both looked at their son expectantly. Scorpius swallowed once, but he had to force it past the lump in his throat, turning it into more of a gulp than a swallow.

"I hope you can realize how difficult this is for me to tell you," Scorpius said. "And I hope that you won't be angry with me. This is not something I decided for myself; I had no control over it."

His father's brow wrinkled, and his mother squinted carefully at him. Scorpius was a child with very few problems. He never got in trouble, and never had to worry about telling his parents anything. Until this moment. He prayed that they would remember how good of a student he was, how good of a son he had been to them. Anything to push the picture of his angry parents out of his head.

"I… I don't know how exactly to say this," Scorpius said. "I just wanted to tell it to you, because I could no longer keep it a secret from you."

"We love you, honey. Tell us anything you need to," his mum said, squeezing his shoulder reassuringly.

"Mum, Dad…" he said, taking a deep breath. "I'm… gay."

His parents stared at him for a moment. He actually expected, by the look on his father's face, that Draco was going to start laughing at any point. The room of the house filled with silence, and Scorpius felt as if he was drowning in it. It pressed against his lungs and throat, painful.

"He's serious," his father said, standing up quickly. He turned swiftly and walked toward the tall, wide window to stare out into the sheets of white falling from the sky.

"Honey," his mother said, turning Scorpius to look at her. "Are you… are you serious?"

Scorpius nodded, putting his eyes back on his father, who had one hand, clenched into a fist, as well as his forehead, pressed against the wide pane of glass.

"Are you sure?" His father's question came very softly from the other side of the room.

"I have been sure since I was fifteen," Scorpius said, his voice equally quiet.

"Since you were fifteen?" his father said, turning around.

Scorpius nodded. "I'm sorry if this disappoints you. But it's who I am."

His father walked back across the room, his strides quite long. He sat back down in his chair with stiff posture, looking straight at Scorpius. He said nothing.

"Oh Scorpius," his mother said, moving out of her chair and putting her arms around him. He hugged her back. "This has to be so hard for you. I'm sorry."

"Life isn't easy for a gay man," his father said.

"I know,' Scorpius said. "I hope you still want me to be your son."

"Oh honey," his mum said, leaning her head on his shoulder and rubbing his back.

"Mum, stop crying," Scorpius said, feeling the wetness of her tears leak through his shirt. He cringed, pretending it wasn't there, wishing it would go away.

"I'm sorry," she said, leaning away and dabbing at her tears. Her husband offered her a handkerchief.

"Pull yourself together, love," Draco said, putting an arm around her and pulling her away from Scorpius.

Astoria settled back in her chair, wiping furiously at the tears.

"Right, right," she said.

Scorpius' couldn't bring himself to make eye contact with either of his parents. He didn't want to watch her cry. He couldn't bear to see her cry, to know he'd upset her, to know he had ruined everything.

"I didn't… I never have wanted to disappointed you," Scorpius said, shaking his head. "I'm sorry."

Neither of them said anything for a moment, and Scorpius felt his stomach hardening into a block of lead. He felt physically sick, and a sweat broke out on the back of his neck. Suddenly, despite the blizzard outside, he felt overheated.

"Scorpius…" his father said. "I don't want this for you."

"I know you don't," Scorpius said. "I don't want this for me either. But this is what I have been given. I didn't make this choice. I can't change it. No one can change me."

His mother wiped her eyes with the handkerchief, not speaking. Scorpius had a feeling that, if she opened her mouth, she would start crying again.

"Mum?" he said. Scorpius very rarely felt weak. He very rarely felt younger than he was. But at that moment, he felt like a small child, innocent, weak, seeking the protection of his parents. He just wanted his mother to hug him, to tell him that he would be okay. He needed them behind him, or he didn't think he could do it. Usually, he thought otherwise. He thought he would make it, no matter what. All of sudden, he wanted to break down, because he needed them.

She shook her head, sniffling. "Honey…"

"Just tell me that you still love me," he said. He furiously scolded himself as the tears sprung to his eyes. He wiped them away, feeling weak, feeling like this was bring him even more shame. He was thankful that his father chose to look away. Draco knew Scorpius wouldn't want him to see. Gay or not, he was still a man.

"Oh Scorpius," his mum said, shaking her head. Scorpius didn't know what to make of that.

His father said nothing.

Neither of them said that they loved him.

Scorpius nodded, standing up. His eyes felt quite dry. "I can understand if this makes you angry with me. If you no longer want me to be a part of this family, I can understand that. If you are ashamed of me, I will not hold it against you."

-CD-

Albus looked up at the sound of the knocking on the door.

"Come in," he said.

Lily pushed through the door. "You need to come downstairs. Scorpius is here, and he looks distraught."

"Huh?" Albus said, standing up and pushing past her into the hallway. He jogged down the stairs to find his mother standing in the foyer with Scorpius in front of her, insisting that he was okay.

"Scorp?" Albus said, pushing past his mother too.

"Al," Scorpius said, clearing his throat. "Can I talk to you?"

"Of course," Albus said. "Let's go upstairs."

For the second time that day, Scorpius was in his bedroom, but Albus didn't find it difficult to push the memories of their earlier interaction out of his head.

"What's wrong?" Albus demanded.

"I… I told my parents," Scorpius said.

"And?" Albus said.

"I don't think it went well," Scorpius said. "My mum cried a lot. Too much. My dad… said he didn't want this for me. Neither of them said they would be there for me. Neither of…"

Albus watched as Scorpius crumpled in front of him, collapsing onto his bed. Shocked, Albus felt helpless as he noted a slight trickle of tears on Scorpius' face. In their friendship, Albus had always been the weak one. Scorpius had been the pillar of strength, the supportive one. It took Albus a moment to adjust the abrupt switch in roles.

He sat down next to Scorpius.

"Did you give them enough time to process it?" Albus wondered, grabbing Scorpius by the shoulder and pulling him into a sitting position.

"I don't know…" Scorpius said. "All I know is that they didn't say anything… they didn't say they would be there for me, or that they love me, and I need them to do both…"

"Maybe you should give them some time," Albus said.

"I told them that if they didn't want me to… be their son… anymore… I would leave. I can do that. I'll leave. I told them it was okay if they're ashamed of me," Scorpius said. "And it is okay. But it's not at the same time… I don't know what I'll do if they aren't there for me."

"I think you need to give them a little time to process it," Albus said. "Take a few deep breaths. You can stay here, if you think you'll aggravate the situation by going home. And in the end… if they're not there for you, I will be."

"Al…" Scorpius said. "I can't intrude. I'll go home. I'll just apparate right into my room if I have to… wait, that won't work.'

"If you need to stay here, you can," Albus said. "We're used to adding people. I have more than enough room in here to bring in a cot, and you can have the bed…"

"Al…" Scorpius said.

"It's fine," Albus said. "You'd do the same for me."

"I would," Scorpius said. "I just…"

"They'll be there for you," Albus said. "I just bet they're very shocked right now. Most people wouldn't see this coming. Most parents are the last to know."  
>Scorpius nodded. "It just… I told them, that the only thing I needed was for them to tell me that they loved me… and both of them were silent."<p>

"They love you," Albus said. "I'm sure they do. They're parents." Scorpius looked so wounded. He was sniffling, and Albus didn't know what to do. How was he supposed to comfort someone who looked so desperate? He wasn't used to seeing someone like Scorpius, someone so strong and stoic, look so weak and childish. But he supposed there was nothing to do but comfort him.

So he did the only thing he could think of. He put an arm around Scorpius' shoulders, handed him a tissue and let him sniffle his way like a child, through the pain and shock. Maybe there was nothing Albus could do but be there for someone who he knew was there for him. He cared about Scorpius—whether it was in a friend way, more, he didn't know—but he knew he needed to be there for him. Even though he himself felt helpless.


	33. When Albus Talks in his Sleep

**Chapter 33**

**When Albus Talks in his Sleep**

Scorpius was awake. It wasn't so much he couldn't sleep, but that he didn't want to. The room was filled with the soothing sound of Albus breathing. It was a steady, peaceful rhythm, mixed with the occasional sleep noise, a sleeping sigh, or a groan or mumble under his breath. Scorpius strained to hear the words, mostly because he wanted to know what Albus dreamed about. He wanted to know what Albus thought about, every second of every day, even when he was asleep.

The Potters had been more than kind. They let Scorpius in on a crowded family meal, where he got into quite the conversation with one Teddy Lupin, who, when he thought about it, was something like his second cousin. Perhaps his third? James' Chaser girlfriend had been there too, involving the entire table in a heated discussion about Quidditch, particularly the upcoming World Cup season.

When it came time to go to bed, after the close family allowed Scorpius to intrude upon their time in their living room, centered around a radio, a fireplace and a beautiful Christmas tree, he was quite tired. He and Albus managed to bicker over who got the bed, and finally, feeling very ungentlemanly for it, he conceded, and took Albus' bed, while Al took a cot.

Despite the fact that the sheets had been changed, Scorpius still couldn't still his thudding heart at the concept of sleeping in the bed where Albus slept. He could swear it smelled like him. He felt very… creepy… for thinking as he did, but he couldn't help himself. That was just the way it was. Here he was, In Albus' bed—granted, alone, but still.

Albus issued a soft moan from below, and Scorpius rolled on his side to gaze down at him. His outline was visible in the pitch black of the room, but it was possible to see his face as well, and the fact that it was contorted into an expression of utter satisfaction.

"Oh, Merlin," Albus moaned, and Scorpius found his skin tingling at the words. "Merlin, Scorp…"

Scorpius froze. The sound of his name on Albus' list startled and aroused him. It was a sound he could only dream about hearing in this fashion…

"Fuck," Albus said, rolling over and whimpering. Albus had thrown of his blanket in the night, and through the sheet—not that he was looking, though he sort of was—he could see a visible tenting. Scorpius knew what it was. His skin tingled even more and heat flooded to his abdomen as blood rushed to his own cock.

Albus was dreaming about _him. Albus _was dreaming about him. And clearly not a casual dream where they were playing chess. A _dream. _A sex dream. Scorpius found himself enthralled and enamored all at once. He cared very deeply about Albus and he was quite okay with this. But… the only problem was, it was just the sort of thing that Albus would repress, walk away from, and convince himself he wasn't ready for.

And so Scorpius found himself in a very awkward position. He was not in his own house, or even in his own dormitory. In fact, he was in the house of the boy he cared very deeply about, in said boy's bed, with a hard cock and absolutely no way of relieving himself without behaving in a manner not acceptable for house guests.

"Come on," Albus said in his sleep.

Scorpius groaned. He had never wanted anyone before. He had never felt this way about anyone in his entire life. And now, it was the one thing he had the highest chance of screwing up. Albus _wasn't _ready for this sort of relationship. He could only dream about one. But Scorpius thought he _had _to know how he felt about him.

It had to be obvious how Scorpius' heart started to thud every time he saw Albus. Albus had to know that Scorpius couldn't keep himself from smiling when he saw the littlest flick of a smile across Albus' face.

But Scorpius couldn't tell him that. It would just make things awkward.

Instead, Scorpius was left to listen to Albus sleep and talk to himself. Or to dream about Scorpius perhaps.

Scorpius wanted to be in that dream. He wanted to live that dream. He wanted to wrap his arms around Albus and kiss him again, feel the touch of Albus' lips on his neck and shoulders. Maybe on his…

Oh he couldn't think about it. It wasn't helping his situation. He was in dire need of some sort of relief, but what was he supposed to do?

Scorpius looked down at Albus who was still moaning a little in his sleep. Scorpius bit his lip. He was going to come just listening to it. He flopped onto his side just in time for Albus to stir.

"Oh Merlin," Albus said. 'Ugh. Shit."

"What's wrong?" Scorpius asked innocently.

"Are you awake?" Albus yelped.

"No, I'm just talking to you," Scorpius said, laughing. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Albus said.

"You talk in your sleep," Scorpius said, also very coyly.

"What did I say?" Albus demanded.

"You said my name a lot," Scorpius said. He was conniving when he was tired. He always knew that.

If he could have seen Albus' face, he knew he would be blushing.

"Oh," Albus said. "I don't know why that would be."

"Was I in your dream?" Scorpius asked.

"Yeah…" Albus admitted.

"Good dream?" Scorpius said.

"Yes," Albus grumbled.

They both sat up, squinting at each other in the dark. Scorpius took his wand off the table and whispered "lumos." The room filled with light, illuminating both of them. Scorpius did it for a reason. It illuminated both of their "problems." Albus turned instantly pink and fumbled for his sheet and blanket. Scorpius made a show of doing the same, as if he'd had no idea about his own predicament.

"I… uh…"Albus said.

Scorpius grinned a little. He had managed to make Albus basically admit that he'd had a good dream about Scorpius, and ended up with a hard-on. He would probably feel like a horrible person in the morning, but at the moment… it was more enjoyable.

"Well this is awkward," Albus said.

-CD-

A question that Albus never had to ask himself until this moment: What happened when you put two gay guys, both with obvious erections, in the same room together, in the middle of the night?

"This is a tad awkward," Scorpius agreed. His mischievous grin was still on his face. That, if anything, had Albus worried.

"I… uh…" Albus said, repeating what he'd already said.

"Interesting dream?" Scorpius said. "I've been awake most of the night myself. Thinking about things. Listening to you talk."

"I didn't realize I talked so much," Albus said, feeling more blush creep into his cheeks.

"You do," Scorpius said. "You might want to cast a silencing charm around your bed, just for future reference. It might make it obvious that you're gay to some of your dorm mates, and if you don't want that to happen…"

Albus shook his head. "I don't."

"Good," Scorpius said. "It must say it was a tad revealing."

"Oh Merlin," Albus said, putting his face in his hands.

Scorpius sighed, and Albus peered at him from between his fingers.

"I have a question for you, Al," Scorpius said.

"Go ahead," Albus said. He could already tell he wasn't going to like the question. Scorpius had his mischievous look plastered across his face, as well as a hint of warning. He knew Albus wasn't going to like the question either, but it had to be asked nonetheless.

And why wasn't his erection going away in a conversation of this tone? Both of their penises were at full attention. Not that Albus was looking at Scorpius down there, but… well he sort of was, when it was that obvious. He found himself morbidly curious.

Seriously, since he'd come to terms with the whole "gay" thing, he was sort of letting it run rampant. Despite the fact that he still chose to refer to it at as the "'gay' thing."

"Are you having dreams about me because you are attracted to me? Or because you want to be more than friends? Scorpius asked. "Or are you having them about me because I'm the only other gay bloke you know, which means I'm the only one that can rationally fit that role?"

Albus felt his chest try to cave in on him. He was finding the motions of breathing shockingly difficult all of a sudden. He desperately wanted to point out that he had never admitted to having any _dreams _about Scorpius—at least not the type Scorpius was implying.

"I don't know the answer to that," Albus mumbled.

"Don't you?" Scorpius said. "I think you do, Al."

Albus shook his head. "How am I supposed to answer that without hurting you? If I say it's the last one, then that hurts you. If I say either of the other two, it hurts you because I don't want that sort of relationship at this point. Scorpius, I can't win here. And you can't either."

"Can't you just answer?' Scorpius said. "I've stopped caring about what hurts today. I just want to know the truth from you, Albus. Wait no… I want to know _why _we can't have that sort of relationship. If not now, why _not _now?"

"Scorpius…" Albus said. "Do you feel that way about me?"

This conversation was all questions. Albus couldn't even remember which were pointed at him. He supposed it probably would've helped if some of them had been answered by this point. But not one of them had.

"I don't know," Scorpius said, looking away.

"Tell me the truth," Albus said. "I've been nothing but truthful lately, Scorpius. Just tell me."

"Will it change our friendship if I say I do feel that way about you?" Scorpius wondered.

"Is that a yes?" Albus said.

"It's a yes," Scorpius said, not looking up at Albus.

"This has been the longest day ever," Albus complained. "I'm sorry I kissed you earlier."

"Earlier?" Scorpius said. "That feels like a lifetime ago."

They were quiet for a moment.

"Scorpius, I don't know why I dream about you like that. The dreams turn me on, I want to be with someone, because not only am I curious about a physical relationship with someone I'm actually attracted to, but because I get lonely. And I want to be with you, maybe, because you're good looking. And nice. And you comfort me very easily. But I can't… not yet, I don't think. And I'm sorry if that hurts you. But if you feel that way about me, I promise it doesn't affect our friendship. You're still my best mate."

Scorpius looked at him. "Why don't you just give it a shot?"

Albus hated that he looked wounded. But he didn't know what he was supposed to do. He wasn't ready to be in a gay relationship, as much as he was gay—oh he'd accepted it. It hurt, but it was there… His dream had been about sex with Scorpius. Something he'd learned was called "frotting" and… well shagging too. There had been some definite, wonderful, amazing shagging. But it had been a dream. And Albus knew that he wasn't ready to live it, and Scorpius probably wasn't either.

Or maybe they both were and neither wanted to be.

"I don't know why I won't give it a shot," Albus said. "Maybe because this is new to me. Maybe I'm wrong. I don't want to hurt you if that's the case. And I'm scared. I'm scared of the concept. Of being with a bloke, kissing him, being physical with him. I think I could do the other parts of the relationship and not feel weird. But there's that stuff too."

Scorpius looked at him and Albus wished he was a lot better at hiding his own soul.


	34. The Farthest Thing From an Overreaction

**Chapter 34**

**The Farthest Thing From an Overreaction**

Scorpius pushed open the door to his house, listening as the old hinges squeaked in protest. He closed the door behind him and walked silently toward the large, curved staircase.

"Scorpius!" his mother's shout caused him to jump. He was not quite halfway up the stairs when she came running from the parlor. How she heard him enter, he had no idea.

"Mum," he said as she scrambled up the stairs and swept him into a rib-cracking hug.

"Oh you had your father and me so very worried, Scorpius!" she said. "Don't do that again. We had no idea where you had gone… and when you didn't come back we worried that something had happened to you…. Or that you weren't coming back."

"I went to the Potters'," he explained. "I just needed to get out of here and clear my head. After our conversation."

"Scorpius…" she said, putting a hand on his arm. "You can't be upset with us, honey. We're just trying to wrap our heads around this."

He nodded. "I know. That's why I left. I didn't think I should make Dad look at his disappointment of a son any longer."

"Honey…" she said.

His father walked out of the parlor too, looking up at the scene on the stairs.

"You're back," he said to Scorpius.

"I'm back," Scorpius said. "Don't sound so thrilled, Dad. Sorry."

His father opened his mouth, but suddenly Scorpius was on a role, cutting across him.

"You know, there are a lot worse things in this world than being gay," Scorpius said. "I know it might seem like the end of the world, but you're lucky you have a son like me. I've worked hard to not tarnish the Malfoy name, Dad. I have perfect grades. I'm a good Quidditch captain, I have a good team. I'm a good Seeker. And I'm Head Boy of Hogwarts. But yes, I am gay. And you may have to get over that. Like I said. It could be a lot worse. I could have decided to run off and join the Death Eaters. I could take the side of the dark wizards. But I didn't. I worked hard to help you undo everything you'd done when _you _joined the Death Eaters, Dad. So yes. I am gay. And that may seem like the apocalypse has come, but truth be told you and Mum are both pretty _damn _lucky that you have a son like me."

Both of his parents stared at him. Scorpius very rarely got into arguments with his parents. It was an odd day when he talked back to them. But he had sort of had enough, if that made any sense. He was done with the whole thing, and it hadn't been twenty-four hours since he had told them he was gay.

He felt bad, though, because of the expression on his father's face. Draco Malfoy looked both appalled and horribly wounded. He reached one hand to grasp his forearm where Scorpius had seen the Dark Mark burned into his skin, a very black reminder of a lost communication.

Scorpius already wanted to apologize, but it would sorely degrade the legitimacy of the point he had just made.

He stood there. He figured maybe he should go upstairs, but he didn't want to just leave it at that. He just wanted them to reply to it. Any sort of answer would do just fine.

He awkwardly cleared his throat.

"Scorpius," his mum began carefully. He turned to look at her. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his father calculating his next move in his head.

"What, Mum?" Scorpius said, sighing. He crossed his arms in front of his chest, looking down at his mother who was still standing several steps below him.

"We just don't… I don't understand," she said.

"What is there to understand?" Scorpius demanded. "I'm gay. Either you're okay with it, or you aren't. I need you to tell me."  
>They both looked at him, and neither of them said anything.<p>

"If you don't say anything, I will, I promise, pack my bags and head to the Potters' house until I can go back to Hogwarts," Scorpius said.

"I think we need to sit down and talk, the three of us," his mum said. "Please don't overreact, Scorpius."

"I'm not overreacting," Scorpius said.

"We just have a few questions," his mum said. "Things we need to talk about."

"Okay…" Scorpius said.

"Let's go into the sitting room and let's have a good conversation over some hot tea," she said. "There are scones as well, honey."

Scorpius turned and followed them both down the stairs. They went through the massive doors and into the well-heated room his parents had vacated when he returned. At the moment, despite the roaring fire, the room felt cold. It was the first time he had felt that way in this house, but it was a creeping chill. He shuddered at the comfortable paintings on the wall, and the emerald drapery that had once felt warm, and now seemed all but frozen.

He settled in his usual chair, facing both of his parents. His father placed the tips of his long fingers together, staring over them, but through both Scorpius and his mother. She, on the other hand, was leaning slightly out of her chair, wrapped tightly in a purple shawl, which she clasped in front of her with a bony fist.

"What do you want to talk about?" Scorpius wondered.

"Please don't get upset with us, Scorpius," she said, her eyes flickering with fear at another verbal outburst by Scorpius.

"I won't," he said.

"We just want to make sure that you are absolutely certain," she said.

"Mum…" he said, sighing a little. "I know, I don't fit the bill. I'm... athletic… and masculine. But yes, I am certain. This is not just something I managed to convince myself because of some random thought that happened _once. _This has been many thoughts, compiling over the years. I allowed myself to come to the conclusion fifth year. I've told you this. I decided I would be happier if I accepted myself for who I am, instead of trying to repress this. And I think I have been happy, despite all of this."

"So you are certain?" she said.

"I'm certain," he said, nodding once. He glanced at his father, who seemed to be staring into space still. He had not uttered a word since Scorpius pointed out his only major character flaw.

"All right," she said. "But honey… do you have… a…?"

"A boyfriend, Mum?" he said. "No, I do not. Most gay people at Hogwarts prefer to keep it a secret. I wouldn't know my options. Also, no one knows, at this point, that I am gay. And I would like to keep it that way until I decide otherwise."

"Well of course," she said, nodding.

"Scorpius," his father said.

Scorpius nearly jumped at his father's voice, even though he spoke softly. For some reason, it seemed like a lifetime since he had spoken. He turned to look at it.

"Scorpius, what you said…" his father said.

"I'm already sorry I said it," Scorpius said, giving in instantly.

"You shouldn't be," his father said. "It's true."

"But—" Scorpius said.

"I can't say that it didn't upset me," his father said. "But it is true. I made very bad choices. They were choices that I had to make at that time, and I will live with the regret for the rest of my life. I know that my actions have made your life harder, Scorpius. They have made your mother's life harder too… But I have worked very hard to make things easier for you."

"I know," Scorpius said. "My life wasn't that much harder, Dad. Because you did work hard. I know that. And I'm thankful for that. And I shouldn't have said what I said. They're not the same thing. It's comparing apples to oranges."

He sighed.

"Scorpius, do you know anyone else at school that can help you through this?" his father asked. "Because we can't be there for you when you're at Hogwarts."

Scorpius shook his head. "I don't need anyone to help me through this. I have Scarlet and I have Albus. And I'm okay with this. The only thing that could potentially hurt me is your rejection of this. Of me."

His father nodded. "So Scarlet knows? And Albus?"

"Yes," Scorpius said.

"Do you think Albus would tell his father?" he asked quickly.

"No," Scorpius said. "He knows that it's a secret. You don't have to worry about it getting out to the entire Ministry."

"That's not necessarily what I worry about," his father said. "I don't want anyone else to let out things about you that should be yours to let out."

Scorpius sighed again.

"Scorpius," his mum said, taking his hand gently. "Honey…"

He looked up at her, letting her green eyes meet with his. They were pretty, but a different sort of green than that of the eyes of Albus Potter. Albus' green was the sort that knocked the breath out of Scorpius. He almost found himself smiling as he remembered the feeling. But then the smile gave way to sadness as realized that what he wanted with Albus was all but impossible.

All but.

He crossed his arms in front of himself, looking at his mum still.

"Honey," she said. "You are our son. And we love you very much. No matter what."

"I love you too, Mum," Scorpius said. His mother wrapped him up in a tight hug, squeezing him against her chest in a perfect motherly embrace. He looked up at his father over her shoulder. Draco had not voiced his agreement, or even so much as nodded. He seemed to just look at Scorpius, his fingertips still pressed together, his eyes slightly unfocused, as if lost in a very deep thought.

-CD-

Albus flopped on Rose's bed, messing up her neat purple quilt. She hopped up next to him, leaning against the wall.

"So," she said.

"Hi," he said.

"Long time no see."

"It's been about forty-eight hours," Albus said. "What's your definition of a long time?"

Rose rolled her eyes at him. "You're annoying."  
>"I know," he said, smirking at her.<p>

She was quiet for a moment, examining her hands. Then she looked up at him. "I have a comment to make."

"A comment?" Albus repeated, his tone quite wary.

"A comment. I was just… noticing that… well, you seem very happy today."

"Thank you for your comment," Albus said, putting his hands behind his head and closing his eyes.

"Albus."

"What?"

"I have a question now." Rose kept her tone soft. She didn't want to bombard him.

"And what exactly would your question be?"

"_Why _are you very happy?" she wondered.

"Can't a man just be happy for no reason at all?" Albus said, opening one eye to look at her.

"Well, I suppose a person can," Rose said. "But… usually not you, Al."

"Oh," he said, opening his other eye. "I suppose you have a point there, Rosie."

"Yeah?" she said. "I'm glad we're on the same page."

Truth be told, Albus didn't quite know why he was in a good mood. He couldn't remember the last time he was in a good mood for no reason. Usually these moments were precipitated by a good family gathering, or an intense win on the Quidditch pitch. He hadn't been just plain happy in the longest time. It was almost weird. He knew how it had caught Rose's attention.

Perhaps the whole thing had something to do with Scorpius. That was the first thing that came to Albus' mind. Despite the fact that their midnight conversation had been horribly awkward in so many ways, Albus was pleased to say that he left the whole thing with fairly positive feelings. For some reason there was a great deal of hope within him. It made him feel like… once he gathered himself, and figured his life out, that he would, almost, have something to look forward to. He was attracted to Scorpius. Judging by the situation last night, at least, Scorpius was attracted to him.

"I don't quite know why I'm happy," Albus said, smiling brightly.

"Whatever it is, keep doing it," Rose said. "It's nice to see you smiling. For real."

Albus could do nothing but smile back at her.


	35. Into the Lion's Den for the Second Time

_**A/N: Happy Columbus Day to all of my American friends. What a day to celebrate a man, who in 1492, sailed the ocean blue, was really dumb and thought he was in India and exploited the poor Tainos, who would practically go extinct. Yay! But hey, someone had to be the one to discover America, and a lot of other people would have done just the same. I don't know about you, but we're having a heat wave where I am, and I'm going to enjoy it! 80 degrees in October? I'll take it. Enjoy!**_

**Chapter 35**

**Into the Lion's Den For the Second Time **

Albus looked around at his family's house. It was filled to the brim with various family members and friends. The annual Potter New Year's party was in full swing and it was barely eight thirty. Teddy and Victoire were fighting James and Daphne over a position under the mistletoe. Rose had gone off in a corner with Lysander in a room where her father or uncles wouldn't find them, and last Albus had seen them they had become conjoined at the face.

He was hanging out alone, and he didn't find that to be quite terrible. People from the _Daily Prophet _were there, invited by his Mum, and various Ministry officials, invited by his Dad. It was a good gathering. People always held out for the Potter party. It had been the death sentence of many other New Years gatherings. For some reason, people never turned down an invitation from Harry and Ginny Potter.

Albus had a nice glass of firewhiskey, which burned and warmed consecutively. He didn't feel particularly bothered by anything. Nothing that was making him want to sleep the day away anymore. Scorpius had been right. Stressful as it was, admitting he was gay, just to himself, had been a huge weight off of his chest. It made him feel lighter. Now the only question was how to proceed. Somehow, Scorpius had infiltrated him with the mindset that it didn't matter that he was gay. He was, and there was nothing he could do to change it.

It was a relieving feeling, to say the least.

Not that there weren't little things nagging at him constantly. He worried about public opinion, and the fact that he had imagined already a thousand times what his parents would say if they found out. He knew he had to tell them about it eventually, and that made his stomach churn. And… so he was attracted to guys. That meant he wanted to be physical with them. And he certainly did. He was just having a hard time wrapping his head around the "how" of it all.

Gay sex was somewhat frightening to him—not because it wasn't appealing, just because he wasn't used to it. The whole question of who "tops" or "bottoms" made him incredibly nervous, to be frank. He didn't know which he would be… he didn't know how he would find out. He supposed he ought to wait until he was in an actual committed relationship, when it would really matter. But he still wished he had someone older who had a better idea about this that he could talk to. Not just Scorpius. That would just be awkward.

However, during the party, he decided that he was just going to ignore it. Everything was easier that way. What would be would be.

He turned his attention to the latest stream of arrivals. A bunch of former Holyhead Harpies—and some current—had all arrived together. Hovering behind them, looking over the heads of the crowd, was Scorpius.

"Hey!" Albus said, waving across the room. Scorpius looked relieved, sliding through the crowd to join Albus at his wall.

"Hi," Scorpius said. "Merlin, it's like walking into the lion's den again, Albus. It's all Gryffindors."

"Not quite," Albus said. "A fair few, yes, but there is a good mix here. You'll actually find a few Slytherin comrades, I swear."

"I suppose I'll trust you," Scorpius said, smiling at him.

"Come on, have something to drink," Albus offered, leading him over to the drink table where charmed bottles swung into the air on command and mixed drinks by magic.

When Scorpius had a drink, the two of them walked over to a corner to talk.

"How are things with your parents?" Albus asked.

"I don't know," Scorpius said. "My mum is back to normal, but my father is a bit more… well we haven't really spoken much since the day after I told them…"

"I'm sure it'll get better, Scorp," Albus said. "He's probably just trying to wrap his head around it."

"Yeah…" Scorpius said, nodding.

"Hey, it'll be fine," Albus said, smiling at him. "No matter what, things will work out."

"Look at you being the positive one," Scorpius said. "You seem very happy."

"I am," Albus said. "For some reason."  
>"But you don't know what?" Scorpius said.<p>

"No," Albus said. "I have no idea."

"Well that's a good thing," Scorpius said. "Isn't just being happy good?"

"Yeah," Albus said. "It's kind of nice. And I think I have you to thank for all of this."

"No…" Scorpius said. "You don't."

"Yes I do," Albus said. "I really, really do." He smiled at his friend. "You helped me a lot, Scorpius."

"Hey, boys," Rose said, appearing out of nowhere. She smiled at them brightly, her eyes glinting with mischief.

"Hey, Weasley," Scorpius said.

"I trust your family had a happy Christmas, Malfoy?" Rose said.

"Yes, we did, thank you," Scorpius said, nodding at her.

"Good," she said. "Well I'll leave you boys to talk." She waggled her eyebrows.

Albus and Scorpius both watched her retreating form as she walked lithely toward the drink table.

"Did you tell her?" Scorpius asked, turning to look at Albus.

"What? No!" Albus said. "Why would… no!"

"She seemed like she knew something," Scorpius said.

"Rose thinks she knows everything," Albus replied.

"Yes, but she seemed as if she actually knew something," Scorpius said.

"She doesn't," Albus said. "I didn't say anything to her."

"Okay," he said.

"Don't worry about me. Or your secret," Albus said. "It's safe with me, Scorp, until you want people to know."

-CD-

Scorpius couldn't help but smile at Al. He had that warm and fuzzy feeling that people always talked about. He wanted to grab Al's hand and pull him over so that they were standing under the mistletoe and then snog him until the sun came up.

A boy could dream.

"C'mon," Al said. "Let's go hang out with the rest of the people our age."

Internally, Scorpius groaned. _No, _he thought, _let's not. They're not worth it. Let's just make it the two of us. _But he still followed Albus through the crowd to a door off of a long hallway. A group of Hogwarts students was spread out across the room, lounging on a beat-up sofa, or a one of the many overly squishy chairs. Scorpius figured it usually housed the Potter children and their numerous red haired family members. It was the perfect place for a bunch of teenagers to hang out.

Albus flopped into a red chair by the back wall, and Scorpius joined him in the one next to it.

"Red," he commented.

"Scarlet," Albus contradicted. "Gryffindors, remember?"

"Ah… right," Scorpius said.

"You know most of my family members," Albus said. "Or you know _of _them, at least. Some of them, despite the fact that they're about six or seven years older than me, still hang out with us kids. Let's see, there's my mate… Owen… and a good chunk of current and former Gryffindor Quidditch team members…"

"Oh I recognize most of the people here," Scorpius said, skimming the crowd of teenagers and twenty-somethings. Lily walked by, her hand swinging in the clasp of a burlier sixth-year Ravenclaw Scorpius recognized. He glanced at Albus who rolled his eyes.

"I just ignore it," he said. "That's the Potter children mutual decision. We just let each other have whatever relationships that cross our paths, and we don't tell our parents."

"Sounds like a good decision," Scorpius said.

"I guess it's not just between us. It's between all of the cousins too. There're so many of us we're bound to do something stupid at some point… We just agreed not to be tattlers. It was easier that way. We all live our lives, and we can pose our own interventions for each other, if we want… but in the end, it's better not to involve the millions of adults in our lives."

"Well that works pretty well," Scorpius said. "Secrets must be pretty well kept."

"Yeah. Most people wouldn't ever mess with my secrets, Rose's, Teddy's, Vic's or James'," Albus said. "They're too afraid of us. We could destroy them in a duel if we got into a fight."

"I've only ever gotten into a fight with Rose," Scorpius said. "I must say I held my own fairly well."

"I'm sure you did," Albus said.

Rose was over in the corner, wrapped around Lysander as they practically ate each other's faces.

"I think I'm going to tell someone," Albus said.

"About Rose and Lysander? I thought you were just saying—" Scorpius said.

"Sometimes you're shockingly slow on the uptake," Albus said. "I changed topics. I think I'm going to tell someone about me."

"Oh," Scorpius said.

"Yeah," Albus said.

"You mean Rose?" Scorpius said.

"I don't know," Albus said, looking at his cousin as she kissed Lysander very passionately.

"Why wouldn't you tell her?" Scorpius said. "You tell her everything, Albus."

"I know," Albus said. "But I feel like sometimes I burden her too much. She never burdens me with anything, and I don't think it's fair."

"I don't think she minds," Scorpius said, following Albus' gaze to his cousin.

"I don't know…" Albus said.

"I don't think she does, Albus," Scorpius said.

"We'll see," Albus said, shaking his head.

"Who would you tell, then?" Scorpius wondered.

"My brother? Maybe James. Maybe Teddy. He's my other brother," Albus said.

"Teddy Lupin, right?" Scorpius said. "My cousin of sorts?"

"Yes," Albus said. "I grew up with him though. He taught me how to get in trouble. I think I would tell him before James. James… is more of a joker. He worries about me, but I don't tell him things like I tell Teddy. We're too close in age for his advice to work for me… And to want to talk about stuff like that, you know what I mean? We're not the sort to talk about our problems with each other."

"I suppose that makes sense," Scorpius said. "But you could say all that to Teddy?"

"I think I could," Albus said. "I think I could."

"You can't think, Al. You have to know."

"I know, I know," Albus said.

Scorpius smiled at him. "Don't stress too much about all of this Albus. Please."

"I'm trying not to!" Albus said.

"But when you stress, I stress," Scorpius said, smiling kindly. "Just take a few deep breaths and save us both a little bit of nail biting."

"Right…" Albus said. 'I shouldn't stress you out though. That's not what a friendship is about."

"I beg to differ," Scorpius said. "I think that's _exactly _what a friendship is about, Al. We have to worry about each other. It's the only way we can ever help each other."

Scorpius genuinely worried about him. All he wanted to do was put an arm or two around Albus and assure him that everything would be all right, if he just looked toward the future a little bit more. Scorpius knew everything _would _be all right. Eventually. It wouldn't be instantaneous, but it would be soon enough. He had too much on his mind for things to be okay tomorrow or the next day. In fact, much of what he was thinking he ought to be doing made the near future for him a very bleak prospect. He just prayed that he wouldn't drag Albus down with him. Albus didn't need that. He didn't need Scorpius to make anything more bleak. Scorpius had no right to do that to him.


	36. We're Batting for the Same Team

_**A/N: I love this chapter. Don't ask me why. I hope you love it too. **_

**Chapter 36**

**We're Batting For the Same Team **

Albus gulped several times. Some massively large lump had manifested itself in his throat. Painfully.

He had spent the last twenty minutes hovering out on the bitter London street. It was a slate gray day, with winds that felt like ice on his cheeks. They sky was a morose color, and Albus wondered if this was what it always looked like back when smog was the prevailing source of oxygen that blanketed the city.

He had to go back to school tomorrow, and this was his last chance to do this. Scorpius thought it was a good idea—and usually Scorpius was right, so it was a pretty good shot. But that didn't mean that nerves weren't present. Little nervous tingles spread up and down Albus' arms and legs as he waited in the chill for his courage to buck up inside of him and let him buzz up to Teddy's apartment.

He glanced around himself. When he was sure no one was watching, he lifted his wand and pointed it at the third floor.

"Teddy Lupin, room 302, from Albus Potter," he whispered. His patronus was almost too large to go unnoticed. Sort of like his father. It wasn't anything small, or convenient, like the small jungle cat Rose had, or his grandfather's weasel. It was a large, somewhat ostentatious lion. Looking at it, with its well-kept mane as it sprung gleefully up the wall and then through it, Albus winced. He figured that if a lion was ever gay it would probably look a lot like that one.

The door in front of him swung open, and Albus stepped inside, through the protective spells that had been set up. He started up the stairs. Teddy's apartment building was nice enough, but by no means fancy. It looked well-worn, if anything.

When Albus reached the door to Teddy's apartment, he knocked and the door clicked open.

"Hey," Teddy said from where he was lounging on his sofa, reading some papers from the Ministry.

"Hey," Albus said.

"What brings you out here?" Teddy wondered, sort of sitting up. Albus dropped into a stiff chair next to the sofa.

"Nothing, really," Albus lied. "Just thought I'd come visit before I had to head back to Hogwarts."

"Oh," Teddy said, looking at him curiously. He set his papers aside and leaned forward.

"Yeah," Albus said.

"You're lying," Teddy said, shrugging and sitting back.

"Er… no," Albus said.

"Yep," Teddy said. "Lying through your teeth. Care to elaborate, Al?"

"I don't know…" Albus said.

"Well I think you came here to talk to me about something," Teddy said. "I'm not sure what, but you should keep going. I'm here to listen. And provide advice."

"I don't think you'll be able to give much advice on this situation. Not exactly something you've been through," Albus said.

Teddy looked at him for a moment. His eyes were green-blue, today, looking carefully at Albus. Albus felt himself gulp again, attempting to swallow around the ever-growing abscess in his throat. He coughed once, trying to look away from Teddy's eyes, but finding that Teddy was making it impossible to break eye contact.

Teddy took a deep breath. "I think I know what this is about."

"I highly doubt it," Albus said. "This is the last thing I think anyone would expect."

"That's exactly why I think I'm right. Because I know I'm the only one who has expected it. Or I guess I should say suspected it. Being your older sort of-brother, I am both better advice and less blinded than James and your parents and Lily. I think it must be a blood thing that blinds people. But I think I know what this is about, for that reason."

Albus looked up at him.

"Guess then," he ordered. He figured Teddy would guess wrong. He would probably think Albus had gotten some girl pregnant, or something else crazy like that.

"I will!" Teddy said. "I'm just trying to figure out how to say it in the gentlest way possible. Without offending you. Because if I'm wrong, I think this will be very offensive."

"Oh…" Albus said. "I don't care. You can't offend me."

"This might…" Teddy said hesitantly. "I just don't see this not being offensive… Uh… Albus, does this whole thing have anything to do with Scorpius?"

Albus looked up at him, a little surprised. "Um… yeah. A little."  
>"Okay," Teddy said. "Well… I was just wondering Al… and if you're offended by this, if I'm so far off, you have my full permission to hex me… But… Al…do you have <em>feelings <em>for Scorpius?"

Teddy cleared his throat, and looked at Albus as if waiting for the curse to fly.

"Sort of…" Albus said. "I think what you're really trying to ask me is if I'm gay, Teddy."

"Yeah," Teddy said, looking down awkwardly.

"Well… I think I'm like… ninety percent gay and ten percent straight. If that makes any sense," Albus said. "I find certain girls very attractive…"

"So you're gay?" Teddy said, staring.

"Yeah…" Albus said. "I guess so."

"Wow," Teddy said. "It's weirder to hear you say it than to just be speculating about it. But I thought so."

"How did you know?" Albus wondered.

"I've always just sort of wondered. The way you behave with girls… sort of made me think that you were trying to convince yourself something. And the depression would make sense with all of that… And the way you act around Scorpius…" Teddy said.

"Does anyone else think this?" Albus demanded quickly.

"No, no," Teddy said. "Most of them don't think so at all."

"Oh…" Albus said.

"I for one thought it was obvious," Teddy said, grinning. "You don't seem like a gay boy, Albus, but for some reason… well I always knew you were a bit odd. I think you'll be a lot happier after coming to this realization, though, don't you think?"

"I already am," Albus said. "I definitely am."

"Wow," Teddy said. "Albus is gay. Huh. Fancy that."

Albus rolled his eyes. "So… what… do you think?'

"What do I think?" Teddy said. "I'm all for it. Be with who you want to be with, Al. I'm glad you told me about this. You've told Rose, I'm assuming?"

"No," Albus said, shaking his head to emphasize his point.

"Oh…" Teddy said. "Am I the only one you've told?"  
>"Pretty much," Albus said.<p>

"Oh," Teddy said again. "Well I suppose I should say I'm honored, right?"

"I don't know…"

"Well I'm glad you trusted me to tell me," Teddy said. "I'm here for you if you need me. If you need help telling your parents or something… Does _anyone _else know?"

"Scorpius," Albus said.

"Ah…" Teddy said. "Well then… I suppose that adds a bit of depth to your friendship, doesn't it?"

"Sure?"

"Is he… batting for the same team you are?"

"If I knew it wouldn't be my place to tell you," Albus said swiftly, meeting Teddy's eyes carefully.

Teddy grinned a little. "Right."

-CD-

"You're kidding me right?" Scarlet said, her hair hanging off her head which was, in its entirety hanging off his bed. She looked at him upside down where he sat at his desk.

"No," Scorpius said.

"Uh…" she said. "Okay."  
>"Don't you get it though?" he said.<p>

"Sort of?" she said. "You just… have been so resolved in the past, Scorpius. This turn of events is a little shocking, you know? I want to make sure you're really sure and this isn't some fit of… Merlin I don't know what. I don't want you to make rash decisions you'll regret instantly."

"I've been thinking it through," Scorpius said. "Have you ever known me to make rash decisions, Scarlet?"

"Not really," she said. "But a lot of things are changing about you, mister, and I don't know what to expect."

"I'm not changing…" Scorpius grumbled.

"I don't mean _changing _per se," she said. "I just mean… changing."  
>"Care to elaborate?" he asked.<p>

"You're less worried about things," she said. "I think the changes are good changes, certainly. Spectacular ones, actually."

"Oh…" he said.

"I just don't want you to make these changes too quickly and then get dizzy because of it," she said.

"I won't…" he grumbled.

"I know, I know," she said. "Sorry. You think things through. No matter what, I think you'll probably always do that, won't you Scorp?"

"I probably will," he agreed.

"But… that being said…" she said. "I worry."

"You don't need to worry about me, Scarlet.".

"Just the same…" she said. "I mean… how are you doing with your parents?"

"My mum is great," he said. "She doesn't even bring it up, and I think that's her way of dealing with it. But she's told me she loves me a million times a day now. I think she's worried I won't believe her."

"And your dad?" she wondered.

"Oh…" he said. "You know… he's sort of just… not talking about it. Not talking me, actually… He's not a big fan of that right now. Talking to me, I mean."

"Aw." She made a sympathetic face"I'm sorry Scorp."

"I think he's just trying to get used to the idea," Scorpius said.

"Did he tell you it's okay?"

"No…" he said. "But it's fine. I understand he needs some time."

"But he's your dad. He should be there for you, you know?"

"It's okay, Scarlet, really," he said.

She nodded. "Okay. If you insist."

"I do," he said.

"Do you mind if I ask you another probing question?" she asked tentatively.

"If I minded, would you actually not ask it?" he asked.

"Well do you mind?"

"I guess not," he said.

"Then I don't need to answer that," she said, laughing. "So… how are things with your… with Albus?"

Scorpius desperately wanted to tell her that Albus had kissed him. More than anything he wanted to tell her. But he couldn't betray Albus' trust, and that would obviously open up a can of worms. He wished he had someone _else _to talk to about all of these things: someone that he would be comfortable talking to, as well as someone who Albus wouldn't mind knowing. But he had no such person. He didn't know what he was supposed to say to Scarlet instead.

"I don't know," he said. "I'm doing fine. He's a great friend, and I'm so lucky to have him in my life, even if it's only in that way."

"Well it's good that you can look at it that way," she said. "That's good. You've always been the selfless sort anyway."

"It's not so much selfless as it is… just accepting," Scorpius said.

"Ah…" she said.

"But let's change the subject," he said. "I'm tired of talking about me, Scarlet. My life is incredibly boring."

"Are you kidding me?" she said. "Your life is more amusing than anyone else I know... Or, I guess, not as much amusing as it is interesting and exciting."

"Exciting?" he said. "I am glad you think so."

"Look, I know you don't like being different just because you're gay," she said. "But I just want to say… you are. Your dynamic is completely different… just because of who you are. And you yourself have said that you are gay. It's who you are. Among other things, of course, but it certainly does play a part."

"Let's change the subject," he said again, staring at her strictly.

"Fine," she said. "We'll change the subject."

"How are things with you and Nick?"

"Ah," she said. "Nice. Good. Pleasurable."

"Still shagging then, are you?" he wondered.

"Well we didn't just resolve to stop, if that's what you mean," she said. "Of course we're still shagging. But we went on a date. It was very sweet, actually. He's very sweet."

"I'm happy for you," Scorpius said. Happy and incredibly jealous.


	37. When the Vandal is the Target

**Chapter 37**

**When the Vandal is the Target**

Albus walked out of the Gryffindor Tower on the first day of classes after the holidays. He was the first Gryffindor to emerge this particular morning. The castle had an early January chill over all of it, and it sat comfortably on a hill of frigid white.

He started toward the Great Hall, ready for breakfast and ready to get back in the swing of classes and Quidditch training in the ice. He smiled happily at the concept.

He walked through the doors into the Great Hall, spotting Scorpius sitting comfortably at the Slytherin table. He turned to walk over and greet him, but a clump of people out of the corner of his eye captured his attention. Each one of them was staring up at something above them as professors attempted to push through the crowd. He glanced at Scorpius who was unfazed and reading a book while he ate instead.

"Ladies and gentleman, please let us through," Professor Higgs shouted, pushing at the students and drawing his wand from his robes.

Albus dropped his bag at the Gryffindor table and moved to the edge of the pulsing crowd. He shoved his way through the chaos, students moving more quickly out of his way than out of the professors' way.

He finally reached a point in the crowd where he could see the main attraction. Painted across the wall, obviously by magic, was a simple script of words. They read, proudly in dark letters across the stone "Scorpius Malfoy is Gay."

People were laughing at the absurdity of the prank all around Albus. Most of them thought it was simply a very poorly thought out and very uncreative prank, designed to poke fun at Scorpius. Someone who didn't like him got a little fed up over the holidays.

"Oh Merlin!" Albus said. He understood the real repercussions. This wasn't fair to Scorpius. He didn't deserve people saying this. Especially if it was someone who actually knew… Albus shuddered, finding himself suddenly overcome with the urge to find the person and wring their neck with his bare hands. He pushed away from the crowd as the teachers finally broke free, moving to erase the message from the stone.

Bolting across the Great Hall, he reached the Slytherin table.

"You saw it?" Scorpius said, not looking up from his book as Albus dropped onto the bench next to him.

"Yes… I'm sorry Scorp," Albus said. "People shouldn't have done that. I don't think people believe it but… Well, they're trying to get it off."

"It won't come off," Scorpius said.

"What? Of course it will," Albus said. "Don't worry about it."

"No, it really won't come off Albus," Scorpius said, looking up at him. Finally, the eye contact revealed to Albus the smirk pulling up at the corners of Scorpius' lips.

"What? What… did _you _do that?" Albus demanded loudly.

"Shush, Albus," Scorpius said. "Merlin, the whole hall will hear you."

"Seriously, did you?"

"I may or may not have had a hand in it," Scorpius whispered, shrugging gently.

"_Why?" _

"Because I'm sick of secrets," Scorpius declared. "I decided it the day before yesterday."

"You should have told me…" Albus said, glancing over at the tittering crowd. "No one believes it, Scorp."

"They will eventually," he said. "There are more of them."

"They think it's someone just being mean," Albus said. "No matter how many of them there are."

"See, I don't agree," Scorpius said. "The more people hear something, no matter how ludicrous it was originally, I find they eventually start to believe it."

"Scorp, what are you doing?" Albus said. "You can't…"

Scorpius smiled. "I know this is going to make things harder, Al. You shouldn't worry. It'll be fine. I'm capable of handling myself. And whatever comes my way because of this. But I'm sick of hiding who I am. People should know the truth."

"What happened to keeping it a secret though?" Albus said.

"Once you start telling someone…" Scorpius said. "It's sort of like a landslide after that."

"I told Teddy, and honestly, I haven't had the urge to tell a million other people," Albus said. "At least not the entirety of Hogwarts."

"Look, Albus," Scorpius said, his eyes darting toward the Slytherins who were encroaching on their space at the table. "You didn't accept it until this year. I accepted it a long time ago. It's been eating at me, trying to get out, for the longest time. And now it's out there. And I don't want it not to be."

"I think you're crazy," Albus said. "I think that this is the wrong time. You're still in school. Not even a school where you get to go home at night. A school with dormmates and Quidditch teams. Are you sure you're ready for this? It might be really painful."

"I know that," Scorpius said. "I know all of that. I am ready. I have to be because I decided that I have to be. If that makes sense. All I'm asking of you is your support. Your friendship."

Albus nodded. He was silent for a moment.

"I know it's not going to be easy for me," Scorpius said. "I know that, Albus. I'm glad you're concerned. But honestly, I can handle this. Okay? Go eat breakfast."

Albus gave him one more look, before standing up and walking across the hall to the Gryffindor table.

"That's some pretty good magic," Rose said, nodding her head in the direction of the defaced wall.

"Yeah…" Albus said. "It is."

-CD-

By lunch time, the school had discovered a grand total of ten messages proclaiming the homosexuality of Scorpius Malfoy. They were scattered throughout the castle in the most traveled areas, and they were, it would seem, impossible to remove, even by the most skilled hands of the professors. By dinner they were threatening months of detention for the vandal if and when he or she was caught.

Scorpius sat at dinner, unfazed, as the Great Hall buzzed around him with the latest topic of interest. He was amused. No one would expect him, he thought, and well, things were working slightly in the direction he thought they would.

Albus, however, was acting sort of cold to him. Scorpius could tell he didn't want to act that way, and he was trying his hardest to go along with the plan. But it wasn't working. Scorpius wasn't quite sure why he was so upset about this decision, but he was. Or maybe it was something else entirely. Sometimes Albus' emotions were very hard to interpret.

"I don't know if it's working," Scarlet said, plopping next to him at the Slytherin table.

"It'll work," he said. "Perhaps not as well as me walking around the school telling everyone, but honestly, I think I prefer it this way. This will give the doubt that they need to be convinced."

"If you say so," she said, piling roast beef onto her plate.

"Mr. Malfoy."

Scorpius turned at the sound of his name. Professor Higgs stood behind him, looking quite grave.

"Yes, sir?"

"If I could speak with you privately, please," Professor Higgs said.

Scorpius swallowed carefully. He didn't usually get in trouble, and for some reason he very much felt like he was. The look on his Professor's face was too serious.

"Of course," Scorpius said, standing up. He followed Professor Higgs out of the Great Hall and into the chamber just off it. He tried to keep himself calm, though his heart was thudding rampantly in his chest and cool sweat broke out on the back of his neck. They knew it was him. He knew the charm was too complex for anyone but him or maybe Rose Weasley to have done it. Of course, the professors could figure that out too. Scorpius was going to get detention for months for besmirching his own name. He desperately wanted to cling to his to Head Boy badge so that no one ripped it out of his hands.

Professor Higgs let the door to the room click shut behind them.

"Scorpius, the headmaster asked me to speak with you," Professor Higgs said.

"Yes?"

"We, the staff, are trying very hard to get those messages off the wall," Professor Higgs elaborated. "We apologize that we have not been able to get them down sooner. In fact, we apologize that this happened at all. Obviously, we here at Hogwarts have very little tolerance for this sort of thing. I promise you, when we find out who did this he or she will be punished. They had no right to say what they said."

"Why should you punish someone for speaking the truth?" Scorpius wondered. "Punish them, if you will, for defacing school property, but don't punish them for saying something that is true."

Professor Higgs stared at him for a moment. He seemed, in Scorpius' opinion, very good at controlling his muscles, keeping his jaw from dropping to the floor.

"Excuse me?" he finally managed.

"Professor Higgs," Scorpius said. "I am… what they say. I've been keeping it a secret, but I suppose, what's the point now?"

Professor Higgs cleared his throat. "Oh… I uh. Oh. Well then."

"I'm sorry to make this conversation exceedingly awkward," Scorpius said. "You look surprised. I'm sure everyone else will be surprised too."

"Well… yes," Professor Higgs said. "All right… well… at the same time, Scorpius this is not an acceptable action by any of our students, whether they speak the truth or not."

"Of course," Scorpius said. "Well thank you for your concern, Professor."

"Any time," Professor Higgs said.

Scorpius walked out of the chamber, leaving the head of his house looking flustered and somewhat shocked. He didn't go back into the Great Hall, but decided to head back down to his dormitory for the evening.

"Scorp!" Albus' voice echoed behind him as soon as he started down the stairs toward the dungeons. Scorpius turned slightly, watching as his friend hurried to catch up with him.

"Hi," Scorpius said, continuing down the stairs once Albus was matching his stride.

"People are starting to talk, Scorp," Albus said. "It took all day, but they're starting to wonder."

"Good," Scorpius said.

"How is this going to be good?" Albus demanded. "I don't get your logic at all."

"I'm done pretending to be someone I'm not," Scorpius informed him, pushing through a door at the bottom of the staircase and then starting down the next set of stairs.

"Still," Albus said. "Scorpius, people are… people are cruel. They're going to say awful things."

"I know," Scorpius said.

"They might start to spread rumors," Albus said as they reached the hallway that led to the Slytherin common room. Albus' face glowed in the torchlight as Scorpius looked at him.

"What sort of rumors?" Scorpius asked.

"About me. And you. Together," Albus said. "I hang out with you all the time… I—"  
>"Is that what all this is about?" Scorpius demanded, rounding on Albus. Albus jumped back in shock, backing away carefully. "Are you afraid they'll think you're gay too? That we're a couple?"<p>

"No… yes," Albus said.

"This isn't about _you _Albus," Scorpius said. "This is about me. If you want to convince them, I'm sure you'll have no trouble finding someone to help you. But you shouldn't be worried about me doing something for myself. This isn't about you."

"But it relates to me," Albus insisted.

"Only if you allow people to relate it to you," Scorpius said. "You have control of your life just as much as I have control of mine, Albus, and you can't let other people choose your reputation for you. Not even me, all right?"

"Scorpius," Albus said. "I don't want you to get hurt."

Scorpius sighed. "I don't want to get hurt. And I don't want _you _to get hurt either, Albus. But this… this is something I have to do. If you don't want to be associated with me, please just tell me now. I won't think any worse of you."

Albus ran his fingers through his hair.


	38. On the Second X Chromosome

_**A/N: I left you all waiting to see how Albus would react to Scorpius telling him he could end the friendship if he wanted to. Well... you don't get to find out what he said this chapter, because I thought this was a good place to put in my necessary interjection of female characters. You will now be treated to the only chapter of the fic that is not from the third person POV following Al and Scop. Welcome to my chapter completely devoted to Scarlet and Rose.**_

_**Next Chapter, we'll get back to the boys (there's a preview at the bottom). **_

**Chapter 38**

**On the Second X Chromosome**

_A Diversion For One Chapter into the Minds of Rose and Scarlet_

Rose looked expectantly toward the entrance of the Great Hall. Albus had exited to find Scorpius some twenty minutes ago, abandoning an entire full plate of dinner. She hadn't seen either of them come back in. A small smile pulled the corner of her lips up.

Scarlet caught her eye across the Great Hall. She followed Rose's eyes toward the door, and got up, walking over to the Gryffindor table.

"Hey," she said, settling in the seat that Albus had vacated.

"Hey," Rose said. "Has Scorpius come back?"

"Nope," Scarlet said, grinning a little too.

"Hmm…" Rose said, looking over at the wall. A tapestry had been fixed temporarily over the smattering words that had been targeted at Scorpius. She flicked her wand once to privatize the conversation she was having with Scarlet. "Scorpius has some skill, doesn't he?"

"Yes… I mean…" Rose watched Scarlet follow her eyes again. "You know, don't you?"

"That he put that up there himself?" Rose said. "Of course I do. No one else is as magically skilled as that. Except for me. And I know I didn't do it."

"Modesty," Scarlet said. "You should try it some time."

Rose laughed. "So he's telling people now?"

"Yeah," Scarlet said, sighing. "He thinks it's a great idea."

"Or it'll just be social suicide for him and Albus both," Rose said. "I don't see Albus letting him go down on the ship alone, do you ?"

"I don't know," Scarlet said. "I think Albus feels a lot for Scorpius, but I don't necessarily know if he's okay with this decision. He's been awkward all day. Scorp was pretending not to notice, but he really isn't that great at pretending."  
>"I know," Rose said. "Nor is Albus." She laughed, but then frowned a little. "I hope… that people aren't too cruel to them."<p>

"Gay or not, they're still leaders of this school. People look up to them, and envy their Quidditch ability and their brains," Scarlet said.

Rose nodded again, looking at her cousin's abandoned plate of food.

One afternoon in December she and Scarlet had been studying in the library. They weren't studying together, but they were studying several tables apart. Rose had a question for Scarlet that she had been desperate to ask for a long time, or at least since their friendship had increased in relationship to her friendship with Scorpius increasing.

When she finally moved over to Scarlet's table that day, she plucked up the courage to ask her:

"Is Scorpius gay?" Rose asked carefully, waiting to be hit or hexed or anything. She kept her voice hushed to avoid being overheard

Scarlet blushed and looked up at her carefully. "That's not your business."

"He is, isn't he?" Rose assumed.

"So's Albus!" Scarlet hissed.

Rose froze at that.

But it had been a wakeup call to her. She had been wondering for a very long time, and, well, it sort of made sense. As much as it hurt that he hadn't come to her to talk about it, as she realized it was true, she understood. Even he was struggling with it, and he couldn't bring her into the mix. She didn't mind, but he hated weighting her with his problems.

With that conversation in the library she was forced to recognize that the friendship between Albus and Scorpius was the sort of deliverance that she and the rest of their family had been hoping would come to Albus for the longest time.

She and Scarlet both looked toward the entrance of the Great Hall, almost a month later.

"Maybe they'll realize that they're perfect for each other," Scarlet said dreamily.

Rose laughed. "You're more invested in their potential relationship than they are." She and Scarlet had been breaking walls of trust for quite some time. They knew that Scorpius would be very angry at Scarlet for admitting to Rose, and Rose knew that Albus would be upset with her for even talking about it all. But it was good for them, and they would never go beyond this, and feign innocent until the day they both died. Perhaps manipulate from the side a little in the process.

"I think Albus is having a hard time realizing he should be invested in this relationship," Scarlet said, throwing her hands up in the air. "Come on, Rose, let's go find them."

"If they're deciding that they're perfect for each other, we may not want to find them," Rose said, groaning as Scarlet grabbed her hand and hurried out of the hall.

"You shouldn't think that way," Scarlet said. "Scorpius is a very careful person who would probably take about three years to think before doing anything like that, Rose."

"Good to know," Rose said, rolling her eyes.

She followed Scarlet toward the door to the dungeon's, their footsteps echoing off the walls in the great expanse of the Entrance Hall.

"Are we going to let them know we've found them, if we find them? Or are we going to eavesdrop?"

"We're going to eavesdrop of course," Scarlet said, pulling two sets of Extendable Ears out of her pocket.

"Of course," Rose said. "Why did I even ask?" She rolled her eyes and followed Scarlet down the stairs.

-CD-

It went against the grain for Scarlet to blurt the password to the Slytherin common room right in front of a Gryffindor. But as Rose was the head girl, and a pretty decent person, Scarlet figured she probably wouldn't come to pillage the Slytherin common room in the dead of night.

Rose, though, looked exceedingly nervous at the concept of walking right into the snake pit. It wasn't as if Slytherins had the same reputation they did a long time ago… but they still had a reputation of being a bit intimidating—and very knowledgeable when it came to using that intimidation for their own good.

"You shouldn't be so nervous," Scarlet said, rolling her eyes. "No one is going to shun you. They let Albus in here all the time. He just blatantly uses our passwords. People trust him because Scorp let him in, and they trust Scorp. And they trust me, so they'll trust you. We're a very careful group with the trust thing. But you shouldn't worry."

Scarlet started down the hallway that led to the boys' dormitories.

"Do you think they're down there?" Rose asked.

"Yes," Scarlet said. "I mean, if they're here, they'd be in the dormitory… but if they're not then we'll have to pick someplace else to look."

Scarlet kept going, but Rose hovered uncertainly. Scarlet said.

"Morally conflicted, are we?" she assumed.

"Yes," Rose said.

"Damn Weasley blood does you no good," Scarlet said.

"It's not Weasley blood, but Granger blood that makes me conflicted," Rose said.

"I don't know, I bet your mum was a snoop," Scarlet said. "All women… we have snoop bred in us. It comes on our second X chromosome."

"But I feel bad," Rose said. "Don't you think we should just let them be? Let them have their conversation without listening in on it? That's not very nice of us."

Scarlet put a hand on her hip, looking down at the coiled Extendable Ears in her hand.

"Why do you have to be so _moral?" _she demanded of Rose.

Of course, she had to admit that Rose was right. Already Scarlet had betrayed Scorpius' trust. By getting nervous and admitting right out that Scorpius was gay was the most wretched thing she could have ever done. And she was still kicking herself for it to this moment. But she hadn't known how to react! She'd never had to react before. People never read Scorpius well enough. But the damn Weasley was just good at reading people.

Sort of how Scarlet certainly knew that Albus was gay. Just from afar, from their few interactions, she knew. He was good at hiding it—better, perhaps, than Scorpius, but she couldn't quite say.

She was a horrible best friend, and she wouldn't even trust herself with any secrets at this point.

"Ugh," Rose said. "Fine. We'll listen for a few seconds, just to see if they're in there. Fine?"

"I suppose," Scarlet said. "Just to see if they're in there."

She turned and led the way down the hall toward the seventh year boys' dormitory. It was midway down the hallway, and she settled on the floor, folding her legs underneath her so that she was still being a lady in her short skirt. Rose sat next to her, and together they each started to eavesdrop on the other side of the door.

Except, the Extendable Ears were deterred. Something was blocking them from getting beyond the door and hearing anything on the other side.

"What in the name of Merlin…?" Scarlet growled, yanking her Extendable Ear back. "Blah. They've sealed and silenced it. Scorp does too bloody good of an Imperturbable Charm. We won't be able to get beyond it."

As much as Rose looked relieved, she also looked extremely disappointed.

"Yeah," Scarlet said.

"Well…" Rose said, getting out her wand. "I might be able to get the charm down."

"I doubt it," Scarlet said. "I'm not saying you're not talented enough…"

"No, no, you're right," Rose said. "He's equally talented. Besides, I feel like that's twice as invasive as just using the Extendable Ears, don't you?"

"Sort of," Scarlet agreed, leaning her head against the wall. "Besides, it might not even be them in there. There's Max and Kirk for one thing. They might have some girl in there, you never know. Scorpius and Albus could be on the other side of the castle and we wouldn't even know it."

"I suppose so," Rose said.

"But don't you just want to _know?" _Scarlet demanded. "Merlin, I just want him to be happy, Rose."

"I know," Rose said. "I know what you mean. I want Al to be happy. My whole family wants him to be happy. And I think, ever since he's been friends with Scorpius, he's been closer and closer to being happy. Maybe he needs this. I think he does."

"But what about all of it?" Scarlet said. "What about all of the arseholes around here that are going to take it out on them…? What about those people? And their dormmates? What are they going to do if they find out… or the blokes in the Quidditch locker room? I don't want them to be hurt, either of them. It's not fair… but I don't know if it's the right to choice to make it known now, Rose."

"I don't know," Rose said. "I think that's why Albus was nervous, why it's been hard for him to wrap his head around things today, once all of that stuff was put up on the wall… What if they do get hurt?"

Scarlet sighed. She didn't like thinking like this. She wanted a perfect world where her best friend could be who he wanted to be, no matter what—be _with_ who he wanted, too. He deserved that much, after all. The two of them had been through everything together. He'd helped her through her messy breakups and attachment habits, and he deserved something. Anything. She knew he was happy, but he wouldn't be happy until he could be himself. But she worried that letting him be himself would end up making him everything but happy.

"Maybe we let them be big boys… let them deal with the pain. They can handle it right? Whatever pain comes their way?" Scarlet offered hopefully.

Rose shrugged, looking down at the black stone floor. Scarlet could see her worry for her cousin plain on her pale skin in the low torchlight.

"That's just it though," Rose said softly, emitting a careful sigh. She glanced at the closed and sealed door next to them. "I'm not sure if Albus can handle it."

_A Sneak Peek at Chapter 39: "What if I'm bad at this? What if it all goes wrong?"_

_ "What if it's wonderful? What if you've never been happier in your entire life? What if?"_

_ "What if?" _


	39. What If?

**Chapter 39**

**What If...?**

_When we last left our dear boys, they were en route to the Slytherin common room, with Albus stressing about the fact that Scorpius was telling everyone in the school (or at least attempting this) that he was gay. Scorpius gave him the option to end their friendship here and now, and we await Albus' reply. _

Scorpius squinted carefully at Albus, waiting for the moment where he would break off their friendship completely, end it right there so that he could maintain what he wanted to maintain. Albus wanted the world to think he was straight, and Scorpius knew it. Scorpius knew he stood in the way of that.

"You can say we can't be friends," he assured Albus. As long as Albus was happy, he would suffer the consequences. He would do whatever it took.

Albus shook his head, slowly at first, but more violently afterward.

"We can't… we can't do that," he said, running his hand more aggressively through his hair.

Scorpius said. "Let's go talk, Al."

He turned and continued down the corridor. After a moment, he heard Albus' footsteps follow him. They walked in silence into the Slytherin dungeons, and into the boys' seventh year dormitory. Scorpius waved his wand to seal and lock the door so that their conversation wouldn't be interrupted.

"Tell me what you want me to do," Scorpius said. "I will do it. I will do anything to make this easier for you, as long as I can tell people. I need to be myself, Albus."

Albus nodded carefully. "Okay."

"What do you need me to do?" Scorpius asked, trying to force Albus to meet his gaze. Finally, Al looked up, his green eyes hitting Scorpius full force. He felt his stomach flip over, but it settled like lead, heavy.

"I don't know, Scorp!" Albus said, messing with his hair even more.

"Come on…" Scorpius said, taking him by the wrist and pulling him over to sit on the bed. "Calm down, Albus. This isn't the end of the world, I promise. Don't let your brain be too addled, and I vow it will all be fine, Albus. I swear it."

Scorpius took Albus' hands in his. He knew he was sort of overstepping boundaries, but he knew that Albus wanted it just as much as he did. He knew it.

"I just want…" Albus said, looking down at the hands, and then back up at Scorpius' eyes. "I just want everything to be better. Not worse. I'm afraid this is going to make things worse."

"I won't let it be worse for you," Scorpius said. "It may be worse for me, but it won't be worse for you."

"You don't understand!" Albus groaned. "If it's worse for you it _will _be worse for me."

Scorpius let go of one of his hands, and touched Albus' cheek. "Then we'll get through it."

Albus closed his eyes under the touch. "Scorp… I…"

Scorp leaned in and kissed Albus gently on the cheek. "Please don't worry."

Albus let out a puff of a sigh. "We can't, Scorpius…"

"Why not?" Scorpius demanded. "We don't have to, but only if you tell me you don't want it…. If you don't want it, fine. I'll stop."

"I do want it," Albus said, putting a warning hand on Scorpius' chest. "But I don't know if I can…"  
>"We're not telling anyone," Scorpius said. "We'll keep it completely secret. And no one will know about you, they'll only know about me. I promise. Just… let it be, Albus."<p>

Albus dropped his hand. "I don't know if I'm ready to be… I told you this, Scorpius, over the holiday. I told you. What if… what if I'm bad at this? What if it all goes wrong?"

"If you're going with what if's, let's think like this," Scorpius said. "What if it's wonderful? What if you've never been happier in your entire life? What if… what if?"  
>Albus looked at him for a moment. "What if?"<p>

Scorpius put his arms around Albus, hugging him. Albus let him wrap him up, burying his head in Scorpius' chest. Scorpius pressed his nose into Albus' neck, breathing in the smell of broomstick polish and soap… and just some other wonderful smell.

He lifted his face and met Albus' lips with his, being very careful with the kiss. Albus kissed him back though, putting his arms around Scorpius' neck. Scorpius kissed him very gently, just for a moment.

The moment was perfect though. He was going to count this as their first kiss a thousand times before the one in Albus' bedroom.

He pulled back after a moment, looking at Albus carefully. Albus looked up at him, clearing his throat. Scorpius blushed slightly.

"Okay," Albus said.

"Okay what?" Scorpius wondered, taking Albus' hands again.

"Okay," Albus said. "This is okay. But we can't tell anyone. Except for… Rose and Scarlet."

"Are you sure?" Scorpius said. "We can keep it a secret from them too…"

"We'll just see how it goes," Albus said. "But we can't tell anyone else. Not now, at least."

"Only if you're sure," Scorpius said.

"I'm sure," Albus said.

"You're sure?" Scorpius said.

Albus nodded. "Yeah."

"Okay," Scorpius said.

"Okay," Albus said.

Scorpius smiled. "Merlin."

"I know…" Albus said, sighing a little. "This is going to take a little getting used to, mind you."

"I'm sure it will," Scorpius said. "You're not used to… kissing… another bloke."

"No, you're right, I'm not," Albus said.

"Well I'm not used to kissing anyone," Scorpius said. "So I think we can work through this."

Albus laughed. "Okay."

"And might I say, for my inexperienced lips, that was quite the kiss we just had there," Scorpius said.

"Well…" Albus said. "And for my somewhat more experienced lips, that was… amazing."

Scorpius smiled. He found himself not at all caring that Albus had been with several girls before him. That didn't matter. All he knew was that he was the first one that Albus could really feel anything for. Maybe he didn't feel that way yet, maybe he didn't want that yet, but Scorpius would still be the first if it did happen. And that made him feel very good.

-CD-

Albus took a deep breath, looking up at Scorpius. He was finally letting himself _look. _He had, of course, noted the attractive features of Scorpius quite some time ago. The sharp lines of his face, his eyes that were certainly not gray, but a startling shade of silver… his height, and his strength, the muscles that contoured his arms and chest…

He put his arms around Scorpius then, stretching up to kiss him for the second time that evening. Scorpius laughed, and kissed him back. Albus complied as Scorpius attempted to push him onto his back—shockingly reminiscent of their last, ill-fated kiss. But Scorp was more gentle this time, leaning over Albus and kissing him very carefully, and, Albus could tell, trying desperately hard to not overwhelm him. But Albus didn't think it was possible to be overwhelmed, not when he was so very happy.

His head rested on Scorpius' pillow, treating Albus with the warm, clean scent he had come to associate with Scorpius.

He was the one that urged the kiss further, pressing his lips against Scorpius' with more fervor. Scorpius surged the kiss forward, and Albus felt the tip of Scorpius' tongue brush his lips. He parted them instantly, acting on instinct, granting Scorpius' tongue access to his mouth.

But as if to ruin the moment, Albus felt a distinctive tightening in the crotch of his pants. He gulped, trying to force himself back into the bed, trying to make himself disappear, so that Scorpius wouldn't notice. This would just make a somewhat tense situation all the more awkward for both of them. Scorpius was keeping his distance, but that didn't mean he wouldn't notice…

Albus worked to flood himself with less arousing thoughts. He was distracted, somewhat, by the fact that Scorpius' tongue was ravaging his mouth, and Scorpius' teeth were nibbling on his lips, but… There had to be something. Dead people. Dead mother. Dead James. Dead Lily. Lily being fucked by some bloke—why wasn't this working, why wasn't this working? His grandparents shagging—that _had _to do it.

But it didn't.

Scorpius moved his kissing away from Albus' mouth, sliding across his jaw and down his neck. Albus whimpered a little in response, feeling Scorpius' teeth on his neck. Nerves seized him. He didn't want this to become awkward. He pushed gently on Scorpius' chest, trying to make it clear that he wanted this, he just… couldn't.

"What's wrong?" Scorpius demanded, snapping quickly to look down at Albus with concern. "What did I do? What are... are you okay?"

"I um…" Albus said, clearing his throat.

"Did I do something?" Scorpius asked.

"No, no," Albus said, sitting up slowly. He shook his head, swallowing. "I… er…."

"What? Just tell me," Scorpius urged.

"I just… I…" Albus stammered, blush creeping into his cheeks.

"_What?"_

"Um…" Albus said, unable to keep himself from glancing down. There was definitely a visible bulge at the crotch of his pants. Scorpius, astute as ever, followed his gaze downward.

"Oh… _oh," _Scorpius said, blushing horribly too. Albus decided he had never been so embarrassed. Not only was he so obviously aroused by the situation, but Scorpius certainly had looked at his cock—albeit clothed by his black pants, but _still—_for several long seconds.

They both cleared their throats and pulled away from each other, sitting on opposite ends of the bed. Albus remained at the head while Scorpius settled at the foot, clearly concentrating very hard on forcing the blush out of his cheeks.

Though, Albus was somewhat pleased and somewhat embarrassed to note, upon second glance, it would seem that Scorpius was in a very similar situation to Albus.

"Oh Merlin," Scorpius said.

"Why must it always be so _obvious?" _Albus demanded. "I wish I could just keep it to myself how good that kiss was…"

Scorpius laughed. "At least we're in the same situation?"

"Sure. Because that makes this _less _awkward," Albus said, rolling his eyes. He couldn't help but laugh too. As embarrassing as it was, he didn't feel that awkward about it, if Scorpius didn't feel that awkward about it.

"Well, yes," Scorpius said. "I think it does. It makes me feel less guilty about how attractive you are, and how that makes me feel."

Albus blushed again. "Well we're being very open now, aren't we?"

"Albus, I think we just kissed for ten minutes straight," Scorpius said. "We might as well be open with each other."

"You're probably right," Albus said. "You're always right."

"Not always," Scorpius said. "Sometimes I'm wrong."

"Very rarely," Albus said.

Scorpius shook his head. "A lot more often than you'd think."

"But not right now," Albus said. "You're right this time. Let's be open with each other. Completely open. From this point forth."

"Good," Scorpius said. "Apparently communication is a good thing in relationships."

"Relationships?" Albus echoed.

"Well… not that this _is _a relationship," Scorpius scrambled. "Er… it's…"

"No, no," Albus said. "I just… I have never really been in a relationship."

"Well I don't quite know how this works, is it a relationship after fifteen total minutes of kissing, or is it… the fostering of a relationship?" Scorpius questioned.

"You're asking me as if I know how it works!" Albus said. "You know what, I think we get to decide how it works."

"Okay. I like that idea," Scorpius said. They both nodded. Silence ensued for several minutes, leaving the two of them to look at each other very carefully.

"So what are we deciding?" Albus finally asked.

"Well… what do you think?" Scorpius said. "Is this a relationship? Or is it the fostering of a relationship?"

"I think the fostering sort of happened," Albus said. "So I think this is the beginning of a relationship. Not the heart. The beginning."

"Good. Sounds good," Scorpius said, nodding carefully.

"Okay," Albus said. "Yeah."

"Yeah," Scorpius said.

They looked at each other, both bursting into laughter at the same time.

"Here we are," Albus said.

"Yep. Here we are," Scorpius said.

"This is going to be… a lot of awkward. I'm getting used to this," Albus said.

"I know," Scorpius said. "But it'll be okay."

"Okay," Albus said.

"I promise," Scorpius said, squeezing his hand.


	40. Scorpius the Amazing Prancing Head Boy

**_IMPORTANT A/N: Hi guys, I have three things to say. Only the last one is important. 1. I hope you're all okay with a few chapters of fluff (I think they deserve it, so no complaining :D) 2. Someone asked me how long this was going to be... well one obstacle has been successfully climbed over, but there are a few more before I can successfully say I have told the story I want to tell. That means, about 60-70 chapters, somewhere in there. Sound good? And finally 3: WARNING: I put a note at the beginning of this fic, talking about a lot of stuff. There is angst in this fic. I think you know that already. There is also some "bullying." I absolutely hate that word, so from this point forth, in all of my American glory, I'm going to call it "Assholery." Good? Good. Now please enjoy my chapter, which I can swear is completely devoid of assholery. _**

**Chapter 40**

**Scorpius, the Amazing Prancing Head Boy**

"Do you think it's true?"

"I don't know…"

"Did whoever did that actually know something…?"

"I couldn't tell you."

"It'd shock me. A bloke like that? Gay?"

"I know, but I think it might be true."

Scorpius ducked his head to the whispers, rolling his eyes as he continued to class.

"Just ignore them," Albus said.

"Why should I ignore them? I should prance up to them in all of my gay glory and confirm the rumors," Scorpius said.

"Prance? Boy is that an offensive choice of words," Albus said, rolling his eyes pointedly.

"It's what _they _expect. It's not what gay people do," Scorpius said. "I never said it was."  
>"Fine," Albus said. "Be my guest. Prance away. In fact, I think I'd like to see that. You prancing. You don't exactly scream graceful to me, but by all means, prove me wrong."<p>

"Not that this isn't working exactly in accordance with my plan," Scorpius said. "But you would think that they would whisper a bit less… I'm the Head Boy and most of them have seen me cast a hex or two. You'd think they would be more worried."

"They are worried," Albus said. "That's why they're not saying things to your face."

"Oh, I get it," Scorpius said. "They think I can't hear them?"

"Basically," Albus said. "They're prats for thinking it, but that's basically it."

Scorpius glanced over his shoulder at the group of gossiping fourth and fifth years. They all ducked their heads and looked away when he turned in their direction. He started walking quickly in their direction, catching Albus putting his face in his palm out of the corner of his eye.

"Scorp," Albus complained.

"Good morning. Hello. Good morning," Scorpius said cheerfully to the group of now quite terrified students from Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw.

"Morning," one of them managed brightly, pushing her hair back from her face.

"Right, I couldn't help but overhear your conversation," Scorpius said.

"Sorry… sorry. We don't think that—we were just—" one of the boys stammered.

"Why should I get angry at you for contemplating the truth? I just urge you to either talk more quietly or more loudly… Either you truly don't want anyone to hear, or you don't care, in which case you should share your discussion with everyone."

They all stared at him for a moment.

"And if you're wondering, I am exactly what the rumors say, so enjoy that little piece of information, talk it to death, and decide whether you believe _me _or not," Scorpius said. He turned around and walked back toward Albus who was waiting impatiently to go to Potions.

"Happy?" Albus said.

"Very much so," Scorpius said. "They're just another set of tools to blab doubt around the school."

"Blab? Since when you do you use the word 'blab?'" Albus wondered.

"Since this moment, apparently," Scorpius said, chuckling. Albus shook his head.

"You're weird."

Scorpius grinned to himself. Albus seemed to be adjusting quite well to all of this. It was just one day after, and Scorpius, knowing Albus, knew he shouldn't just dance merrily along because everything would be okay from this point forth. In all likelihood, Albus would let his emotions implode in about two and a half days, and get overwhelmed by all of it again. There was still time for this whole thing to get screwed up. Scorpius was hoping to encourage just the opposite, but even he didn't have endless power.

Everything seemed good so far. They stole a quick moment here and there this morning, but that was it. In fact, Scorpius had to admit that, if he personally hadn't been in the loop, he probably wouldn't have noticed much difference. None of their teasing had taken a particularly more flirty direction, at least for the most part, and even so… Albus, like Scorpius did not appear gay. Scorpius figured that even if Scorpius was admitted, out and clearly gay, they still wouldn't expect Albus to be on top of that. That would just be too much contradiction for the tastes of the Hogwarts student body. He knew, however, that Albus felt the exact opposite. Albus believed that if the students realized Scorpius was gay, then they would not waste time doubting the sexuality of any equally masculine men, once it was proved that anything was possible.

But as Scorpius was not completely outed to the school—he would have been had they not had so much trouble _believing _what was told to them—neither of their theories had quite been put to the test yet.

"Why are people being so unimpressionable?" Scorpius wondered as they walked to Potions.

"Uh?" Albus offered.

"I personally would have thought that, being a bunch of teenagers, they would have pounced on the rumor like fresh meat," Scorpius said.

"You are the only person in the world that would be complaining about this, Scorp," Albus informed him. "Look, do you want to know what the problem is? The problem is that you basically _radiate _straightness. I hate to break it to you, but you've been so good at pretending to be straight for so long that they're set in believing it."

"That's just the thing though," Scorpius said. "I was never pretending anything. I was just not confirming nor denying any rumors. It's different. I never said I was straight to anyone. Everyone just _assumed."_

"Well, I don't know how to help you then," Albus said. "How do you make a group of teenagers, practically unified in one assumption, unassume something?"

"Unassume?" Scorpius said. "That's not a word."

"For the intensive purposes of my sentence it is," Albus said stubbornly. "Answer the question."

"I don't know how you do that…" Scorpius said. "If I did, it would be done. Being a teenager who assumes a lot of things, I don't actually know the cure myself."

"Well I'd get cracking, or it'll never happen," Albus said, leading the way into the Potions classroom.

-CD-

"Scorp! Someone's going to catch us!"

"No one's going to catch us. Who comes into the library on a Friday night?"

"People. Rose. You. Me."

"Oh Merlin, you and me, whatever shall we do?"

"Shut up."

"No."

"Kiss me."  
>"That I might be able to do."<p>

Hidden in a secluded area of the restricted section, Albus was forced against a row of shelves. He felt the book spines on his spine, worn binding pressing into his back as Scorp kissed him furiously. He whimpered at the feeling of Scorpius' hands on his chest. Even though it was through his button down school shirt, it was an exhilarating feeling, one, he wagered, he would not be used to any time soon.

"If Madam Oberkoetter comes in here now, she'll kill us…" he whispered.

"What happened to being quiet?" Scorpius wondered, whispering against Albus' ear.

"I'm just saying, I don't fancy a detention," Albus said. "I couldn't stand it if _she _knew."

"She loves me. She's not going to come back here to snoop on us. I'm too trustworthy to be up to anything," Scorpius said.

"And modest too," Albus teased, brushing his nose against Scorpius'. "You know what?"

"What?" Scorpius wondered, kissing up Albus' jaw very carefully.

"I think I like this being gay… thing."

"Thing?" Scorpius echoed, pulling away to look quizzically at Albus.

"Yes," Albus said. "You know, I was scared of it. You know that."

"Yes," Scorpius said, his gray eyes latching onto Albus' eyes.

"But now I think that that was silly of me. What is there to be afraid of?" Other than humiliation in front of the whole school and disownment by his parents… but he wasn't thinking of that right now.

"Nothing," Scorpius said, smiling wickedly. Albus grinned back. Scorpius was a lot more mischievous than Albus had imagined. It was quite appealing, actually. He hadn't known this side of Scorp before, aside from the kind teasing they had thrown back and forth previously.

Scorpius pinned him harder up against the wall, mostly with just his arms alone. Albus decided it wasn't fair that Scorpius was stronger. It gave him an unequal amount of control that left Albus feeling somewhat dominated. It wasn't necessarily a bad thing, just something he wasn't used to. More and more, despite the injustice, it was becoming quite attractive. And they hadn't even progressed a week in their relationship. Albus only imagined where they would be in two weeks, or a month, or six months, or…

Scorpius' tongue was warring against his now. For some reason, Albus felt that even Scorp's tongue was stronger. He didn't let him win though, but settled for a truce, simply working with each other instead of against each other. Scorp was not, it would seem, a fan of letting and inch of Albus' mouth go undiscovered. His tongue invaded every corner in exploration and conquest.

As always, it seemed, since their first kiss, they had a silent agreement. When one of them got too into the kissing, when things took a turn for the aroused, they broke the kiss. No one commented or said a word. It was a silent acceptance. They would not encourage any further. This time it was Scorp. He leaned away from Albus, untwining their legs, which had become very tangled in just a standing kiss. He settled himself in a chair at one of the desks, closing his eyes.

"You have no idea what you do to me," he told Albus, causing a rush of heat to the latter's face.

"I don't?" Albus said.

Scorpius shook his head. "I don't think you possibly could understand how long I've waited to feel like this. To be allowed to feel like this, actually with someone who wasn't in a dream…" He opened his eyes and smiled. "Thank you."

"I don't deserve your thanks," Albus said. "I was horrible to you. I didn't accept anything… and then… when I kissed you… _I _kissed _you. _That wasn't fair of me, to then rescind it. I shouldn't have done that. I was being an arse."

"Stop," Scorpius said. "Don't beat yourself up about it, Albus. You can't."

"I just…" Albus said. "How can I not?"

"Because what matters is not the past," Scorpius said. "It's the present. The now. The two of us. Two. Not one and one. Two. We have that now. And we can't think about what there was when it was one and one."

"I don't deserve your forgiveness," Albus grumbled.

"Good because you're not getting it," Scorpius said.

Albus looked down in shame.

"Because you don't need it," Scorpius said. "I'm not going to forgive you for anything, if there's nothing to forgive."

He stood and took Albus' hands.

"I know this is still new for you, and it's still hard to grasp," Scorpius said. "I know I might be pushing you, and I don't want to. You have to tell me."

"Scorp… how do you always manage to turn a conversation around so that you get the negative?" Albus demanded. "You're not pushing me. Yes this is new to me, somewhat. The fact that I'm kissing a bloke it a bit foreign… and so is the idea of a relationship. But you can't worry about me. I'll let you know if you overstep—which you won't—if you'll let me know the same."

"You won't," Scorpius said. "I don't think there's any way you could."

"You never know," Albus said. Albus put his hands up on Scorpius' shoulders. "It's been only a week Scorp."

"I know,' Scorpius said.

"Let's just continue as we are and see what happens."

"Sounds good to me," Scorpius said, kissing him once, gently on the lips.


	41. Reintroducing the Gryffindor Beater

**_A/N: AAH! You guys are all catching up to me. I haven't written more than 44 chapters to this right now... I have to write quickly to broaden the gap between updating on my schedule and not running out of chapters to do just that!_**

**Chapter 41**

**Reintroducing the Gryffindor Beater, Owen**

"I'm getting a big sign," Scorpius announced.

"Yeah? What for?" Albus wondered, rolling onto his stomach to recommence his essay at the hearth of the Slytherin common room.

"It's going to say two words: 'It's true,'" Scorpius said.

Albus chuckled. "It might work."

"It's been two weeks. It should bloody well work!" Scorpius said. "They've let the rumors drift around long enough for _something _to have come from them."

"Why don't you just tell people then?" Albus wondered. Scorpius looked down at him from the chair, where he was finishing up his own essay for Defense Against the Dark Arts.

"But then things have to be more awkward and more tense," he complained.

Albus looked back up at him, blinking his green eyes a few times. What with his inky hair and emerald eyes, Scorpius thought, Albus was not all that out of place in the Slytherin common room. He and Albus had been drifting from library to common room to common room, Al invading Slytherin territory and Scorpius invading Gryffindor territory. People just accepted it and moved on with their lives.

What they wouldn't accept, however, was that Scorpius was gay. That fact, no matter how much it had been stressed, was just something that was out of their reach. Scorpius frowned thinking about it. This was going to be harder than he thought. He had taken to talking very loudly about it every time he had the chance, just because he thought someone might overhear.

What he really wanted to do was just start kissing Albus in front of everyone, because then they wouldn't doubt it for a second. And besides, Scorpius would love to make it known that he and Albus were together, just because it was already the best thing that had ever happened. He knew that in two weeks. But Albus wasn't ready for that. Scorpius knew he probably wouldn't be ready until they were out of Hogwarts, at least. And he understood, and he would do it for three hundred years if he had to.

"Are you done with your essay?" he asked Albus.

"Yes I am," Albus said, tapping his essay with his wand so that it rolled up. "You?"

"Just one more sentence," Scorpius said, running his quill across the page. "There."

"How long is it?" Albus wondered.

Scorpius held up his paper.

"Wow," Albus said. "You're slacking, Scorp. Mine's equally long, if not longer. And I used my small handwriting."

"It's Defense. It's your best subject. It's born in you," Scorpius said.

"Yes, but if you want to be an auror, I would think it ought to be your best one too," Albus said, chuckling.

Scorpius just shook his head, smiling.

"Want to go hang out…?" Albus asked.

"We've been hanging out while doing homework for the past three hours…" Scorpius said.

"Scorp…" Albus said.

"Oh!" Scorpius said, laughing. "Why not? Let's go hang out." For them, hanging out meant stealing into an empty classroom or the Room of Requirement to get in their relationship time, snogging, talking, everything.

"Where to?" Albus asked as they left the Slytherin common room.

"I think Room of Requirement," Scorpius said. "It's always much more comfortable than an empty classroom. There are couches."

"Good point," Albus said. "I think that sounds like a good idea."

"Hey! Malfoy!"

Albus and Scorpius turned at the sound of the voice. Owen, Albus' Gryffindor friend and teammate approached them down the cooridor.

"Hey, Owen," Albus said.

Owen nodded briskly at him, and Scorpius, unlike the relaxed Albus, tensed at the expression on the Gryffindor's face.

"What're you doing down here?" Scorpius wondered, gesturing to the dimly lit dungeon corridor.

"Why does it matter? It's not out of bounds," Owen said snappishly, causing Albus' attention to prick up abruptly. Scorpius saw him snap to out of the corner of his eye.

"Is there something we can help you with, Owen?" Albus wondered.

"Yeah," Owen said. "I have a question."

"What's the question?"

"It's not for you, it's for Malfoy," Owen said.

"Ask away," Scorpius said.

"You're gay?" Owen said. It was a statement turned into a question. The hesitation in Owen's eyes was obvious, but it was clear that this was a question that he wanted answered. His eyes flicked from Scorpius, the subject of his query, to Albus whose hand had, seemingly of its own accord, drawn out his wand.

"Yeah, I am," Scorpius said.

"Right…" Owen said. "And you think that's okay?"

"Excuse me?" Scorpius said.

"Do you think your team will want to be within ten feet of you in the Quidditch locker room?" Owen wondered.

"What does it matter to you what my team chooses to do?" Scorpius wondered.

"I'm sure they'd be interested in the confirmation of this rumor, just as I am," Owen said.

"Why does this concern you? I can see how it may concern them, but…"

"I don't like the idea of another bloke looking me over in the halls," Owen said.

"Looking you over?" Albus repeated. "You flatter yourself, Owen."

"You can't tell me it doesn't bother you, Albus. It's not right. Men should love women and women should love men."

"It doesn't bother me," Albus said. "I think people should love who they love and no one should get mad at them for it."

"I'm not mad…" Owen said. "It's more of a repulsion thing."

"Repulsion?" Scorpius echoed.

"I just don't think that it's right," Owen said. "And you shouldn't…"

"Shouldn't what?" Scorpius wondered calmly.

"I think the other blokes of this school would agree with me that you… that this is not okay," Owen said.

"Why don't you poll them then?" Scorpius wondered. "Just bear in mind that I have the power to take house points and give detentions. Remember that."

"Albus, come on! How would you feel if you knew there was a fag walking around this school who could potentially be looking at you like… like he wants to—"

Before Scorpius could even fully process the sentence, Albus had Owen crushed against the wall, aiming his wand at his throat.

"Al, don't!" Scorpius said.

"Scorpius, he called you…a… a…" Albus mumbled. "Take it back Owen. Take it back."

"No," Owen said. "You should feel that way, too, Albus."

Scorpius pulled Albus' away by the shoulder. He knew he was stronger than Albus, but Albus was very resistant for the first moment. He let Scorpius pull him away, but he kept his wand held high.

"Just keep your opinions to yourself, Owen. People can be how they want to be," Albus said.

Scorpius pulled him away, down the corridor. Owen, Scorpius knew, was just being patient. He knew not to test Albus, and he probably knew not to test Scorpius. But he wasn't done and Scorpius figured he wasn't alone.

"Come on," Scorpius said.

He led Albus quickly toward the Room of Requirement. When they got there, he thought his usual mantra "I need someplace for us to be together without being found, I need some place for us to be together without being found."

The door appeared, and he pushed through the door, taking Albus' hand as soon as they were through it.

"You shouldn't have…" he said to Albus. "You shouldn't have done that."

"He can't say that to you," Albus said. "He can't call you that, Scorpius. I don't care if this relationship is a secret, I'm still not going to stand idly by while someone calls you a… that's a horrible word."

"Albus…" Scorpius said. "You can't hex people for me. I can do it myself. If I need to."

"I'm not denying that you can or can't do it yourself," Albus said. "I don't want you to have to. It's not fair. This is why I didn't want you to tell people, Scorpius. Because you're going to get hurt. And I know you played it tough back there, but even so, words like that don't just bounce off. And what happens when he gets his friends to join him, and they start doing it together? Scorpius, I don't want them to hurt you. Don't you get it?"

"I get it," Scorpius said. "But Albus they can't hurt me."

"Yes they can!" Albus said. "You say they can't, but I know they can, Scorpius. The more of them there are, the worse it will be, and you might start having to duel them… What happens when it's you on ten of them? Or you and me on ten of them? They _can _hurt you, Scorp. And that's what I'm afraid of."

Scorpius looked down at Albus carefully. Albus wouldn't meet his gaze, so he reached to tilt his chin up. When Scorpius found his green eyes, they were glazed, near tears. Albus turned red when he realized Scorpius noticed.

"I'll be okay," Scorpius promised. "We both will be. Don't be upset, Albus. I knew that this was going to be hard." He put his arms around Albus, pulling him closer to him. He drew him over to the sofa, wrapping him up tightly. Albus pressed his nose into Scorpius' neck, breathing deeply and tickling the skin with his hot breath. Scorpius shivered, goosebumps rising on his skin.

He pressed his lips to Albus' and Albus softened immediately, sliding his arms around Scorpius' neck.

"It shouldn't have to be hard," Albus said, pulling away for a moment. "It shouldn't. It should be easy."  
>"<em>This," <em>Scorpius said, kissing him quickly on the lips, "this is easy."

"You're right," Albus said, laughing. "I never thought _this _would be easy. Wow. It's easy to be myself, I guess."

The Room of Requirement was a very conniving place, Scorpius decided. It was nosing into other people's business quite effectively. It hastily decided to provide them with a large, very inviting four poster bed.

"Well that's awkward," Albus said.

Scorpius laughed brightly. "I don't mean this in an awkward… way… but we would be more comfortable over there."

"I suppose you're right," Albus said, clearing his throat. "But not awkward?"

"Not awkward," Scorpius assured him. "The only difference between this and kissing on my bed is that this bed is actually built for two, Al."

"Good point," Albus said. "And we've kissed on your bed a thousand times."

Scorpius laughed. "Come on."

The two of them hopped up on the large bed. It was a strange thing, kissing someone, Scorpius decided. Maybe it was because Albus was so much like him, so masculine. Of course, he loved that, it was what attracted him the most… but it made some things more difficult. They had a problem with dominance. For instance, not only could they not fit comfortably on each other's laps, but they would not do it.

However, Scorpius certainly had noticed one thing in the past two weeks. He was actually quite a bit taller and wider than Albus. Yes, Albus had muscles and strength, and he was by no means a small person, but he was leaner, narrower, a true Seeker's build. It was endearing.

"This is so odd," Albus said as Scorpius touched his cheek.

"What's odd?" Scorpius wondered, running his hand through Albus' hair.

"How okay I am with this," Albus said. "How natural this all is. I thought it would be hard. I thought it would be awkward. But instead, it's not. It's really not."

"I'm glad it's not," Scorpius said. "It feels good to me too. Natural."

"This is… amazing," Albus said, laughing. "I realize now I've never actually wanted to kiss anyone."

"You haven't?" Scorpius questioned.

"No, I haven't," Albus said. "Not until this moment."

He looked down, frowning.

"What's wrong?" Scorpius wondered.

"Nothing," Albus said.

"Al…" Scorpius said, tilting up his chin.

"I'm just afraid," Albus admitted.

"What are you afraid of?" Scorpius questioned, squeezing his hand.

"I'm afraid of what the world might do to you and to me, Scorp," Albus said, shaking his head gently. "What it might do to us, together."


	42. The Near, Distant, Distant Future

**Chapter 42**

**The Near, Distant, Distant Future**

Scorpius looked down at Albus' sleeping form. He was pressed into Scorpius' chest, and Scorpius had his arms around him. Both of them were shirtless, which was basically the worst thing they could've done. Last night, when they started drifting to sleep, Albus had complained about the heat. He started to unbutton his shirt, causing Scorpius' throat to close up. He found himself unable to look away from the prominent abs, and the perfect muscles, the line of dark hair, the only hair on his abdomen, that trailed from his navel south… It had been an awkward moment for both of them of course. In order to sooth tensions, Scorp evened the playing field and tossed his shirt aside too.

Now, they were curled up with each other, still in their black uniform pants. Albus had his arms wrapped around Scorpius' middle, and Scorpius had him even further ensconced. It was a position of ultimate comfort, in Scorpius' opinion. He could lie in this state for all of eternity if eating and working weren't necessary for human function.

He pressed his nose into Albus' hair, breathing in his smell. It was absolutely wonderful. He buried his face in the thick, downy locks, closing his eyes. He felt Albus sigh in his sleep, warm breath glancing off of Scorpius' chest. He didn't want to wake him up, but it appeared to be too late.

"Morning," Albus whispered, smiling and blinking his eyes in the light.

"Morning," Scorpius replied, kissing him on the temple.

"Merlin… I can't believe we slept here all night," Albus said, shaking his head.

"Good thing it was a Friday night, don't you think?" Scorpius said.

"Mmm," Albus said, stretching his arms over his head. "I have Quidditch training this afternoon."

"Oh?" Scorpius said.

"Yeah, we're going to kick your arses," Albus said, reaching up to put his arm around Scorpius' neck.

"Oh, you think so?' Scorpius said.

"Nope. No thinking. I know so," Albus said, grinning at him and pressing his lips into Scorpius' shoulder. Scorpius chuckled in response.

"I want to brush my teeth so I can kiss you," he whispered.

Albus laughed. "Considerate. Go right ahead."

He nodded in the direction behind Scorpius, who rolled over. On the other side of him, a basin with two toothbrushes and a tube of toothpaste had appeared ready for tooth cleaning.

"This room is so convenient," Scorpius applauded, sliding reluctantly away from Albus, who followed him off the bed toward the basin.

"It's very helpful," Albus agreed, grabbing a toothbrush and squirting toothpaste onto it. They both brushed their teeth in silence.

Once they had both spit out their toothpaste, Albus led the way back to the bed, spreading back out, relaxing. Scorpius wrapped his arms around Albus again, pulling him into his chest. Albus tilted his head back, kissing Scorpius gently on the lips.

The kiss, starting out a gentle morning greeting, gradually gathered momentum. Scorpius' heart started to pound as Albus pressed his hands to his bare chest. Albus' fingers slid over Scorpius' skin, causing him to shudder at the contact. He pulled Albus closer to him, narrowing the distance between them. He slid his fingers into Albus' hair, twisting them tightly around the black locks. Albus' tongue fought with his, and Scorpius considered letting him win, relenting a little. He rolled Albus over, straddling him in order to kiss him, their lips colliding forcefully, bruising each other.

"Albus…" Scorpius whispered, kissing up by his ear.

"What?" Albus breathed, hooking his arms around Scorpius' neck and pulling his head up to meet Scorpius' lips.

"Nothing… just… Merlin…" Scorpius said. He laughed a little, but he was nervous. He found himself getting hard again. He couldn't help himself. This was happening so often lately. He decided it was from years of sexual frustration, and now he was always revealing his frustration to Albus. There was no doubt that Albus would be able to feel it shortly, but there was no way Scorpius could pull away. He was having such a rough time stopping this from happening. Finally, finally, there was someone who could return his affection, in the same way. Just as he needed it to be returned, from the right person. Of course this was attractive to him. It was everything he'd dreamed about. And of course, it didn't help that Albus was shirtless beneath him, with his tongue shoved in Scorpius' mouth as they kissed each other.

But then suddenly, there was something else. Albus' own pants had taken on a very clear bulge themselves. They both noticed each other at the same time, and instantly blush flooded to both sets of cheeks.

"I… I…" Scorpius stammered, not sure how to work around this. He pulled away from Albus, sliding off to the side.

"Don't," Albus said, grabbing his hand. "I want to keep kissing you."

"I can't… I can't think of anything horrible…" Scorpius said.

"Why should we think of horrible things?" Albus demanded. "We should think of how much we're happy to be kissing each other, don't you think? We should be enjoying it, not trying to make it unenjoyable."

"But it has to be awkward for you…" Scorpius said. "You're not used to it, are you?"

"No, I'm not, but I think I can be used to it," Albus said. "Look, I know this sort of thing happens. And you know it too. We'll just have to deal with it and get over it and just let it be."

"Okay," Scorpius said. He thought that was a lot easier said than done. The whole thing with Albus'… well… he couldn't help but think about what was underneath the pants…

He leaned back over to kiss Albus again, swinging a leg over.

"I think we should talk, first," Albus said. "I think there are a few things that we need to cover."

-CD-

Scorpius' nervous eyes met Albus'.

"What are we talking about?" Scorpius asked, pulling away worriedly.

"We're talking about… stuff," Albus said.

"That isn't very reassuring," Scorpius said, laughing nervously.

"No, no," Albus said. "It's just stuff that I… as a person new to this whole gay thing… I need to know now. Just to reassure me."

"Okay…." The caution was heavy in Scorpius' voice.

"For instance…" Albus said. "I mean… obviously, we both find each other very attractive… and I was wondering if it's safe to say that… based on current trends, if this relationship continues as it is, and whatnot… we'll take it to a physical level."

Scorpius blushed. Albus was having a hard time calming himself down there—sexually—by bringing up this topic, and it appeared that Scorpius was having a similar issue.

"Uh…" Scorpius said. "Yes, I think so…"

"You think so?" Albus said. "I think so too."

"Oh," Scorpius said. "Good."

"But…" Albus said. "You can understand how that would be a little nerve-wracking to me. I get that it is for you too, right?"

"Yes," Scorpius said. "Very much nerve-wracking for me. I… I… Yes."

"Okay," Albus said.

"But I know it is for you too," Scorpius said. "The concept of… _that_… with another bloke… it has to be a little worrying."

"Not so much worrying as terrifying," Albus admitted.

"Terrifying?" Scorpius said, squeezing his hand. "How so?"

"Just the mechanics of it all," Albus said, furious blush heating his cheeks. Scorpius was equally red in the face.

"Ah…" he said.

"I mean… I get it, how it works," Albus said. "I'm not daft. Knowledge gets around no matter how straight you are. Or seem. I just…"

"Don't know how… I mean to say… where… I mean, what…" Scorpius struggled to complete Albus' sentence for him.

"Top or bottom," Albus concluded bluntly.

Both of them paused for a moment to blush.

"Yeah…" Scorpius said.

"I'm new to this whole idea," Albus said. "So that concept… I haven't had a lot of time to worry about which one I would personally like best and I figure… I should know which one you would prefer, and go from there. If you've thought about it, I mean! If you haven't then..." He cleared his throat.

"I mean, I have…" Scorpius mumbled. "Sort of…"

"And?" Albus prompted, squeezing his hand.

"I think I would, just because of how I've pictured it, like to start out top," Scorpius said.

Albus nodded carefully, hoping he looked calm and less like someone about to go off the deep end than he felt.

"Um…" Scorpius said. "Albus, you look worried. People have told me, though, that when men have been in relationships with women before figuring themselves out, then they prefer to be on top. Would you prefer that?"

"Like I said," Abus said. "I haven't given this much thought. Either way, I think I would be worried. I think… I think I am okay with it."

"If you hate it, we can switch," Scorpius said.

"All of this in the near, distant, distant future," Albus reminded both of them.

"Yes," Scorpius said. "But you know what I mean."

"I do," Albus said."I doubt I would hate it."

"Okay…" Scorpius said. 'Well we got _that _out of the way…"

Albus nodded. "We can continue kissing right now. Unless that conversation put you in a state where you would rather enter a monastery than ever be touched again…"

"Monastery?" Scorpius questioned.

"Do you not know what that is?" Albus said.

"No? Should I?"

"No," Albus said. "It's a Muggle thing. I'm not going to explain."

"Okay," Scorpius said, laughing. He squeezed Albus' hand, leaning in to kiss him.

"You're so good looking," Albus informed him after they kissed for a few seconds. "It's not fair."

"I would just shut up," Scorpius said. "You don't even see yourself clearly, Albus."

"I see you clearly," Albus said. "Isn't that good enough?"

"No," Scorpius said, smiling a little. "This is going to sound exceedingly cliché and perhaps a little… sappy… but I want you to be okay with yourself. Is that too much to ask of you, Albus?"

"I don't know…" Albus said. "I'm trying. Every day I'm trying. You know how much happier I am, now that I'm with you, Scorp. You know it. It keeps getting better. You make me happy."

Scorpius smiled at him. "Still…"  
>Honestly, the largest problem on Albus' mind at this point was the entire conversation he'd just had with Scorpius. As awkward as it had been, and as horrifying, it was something they had to get out of the way. Albus knew himself. He knew he would need a few months to prepare, and he ought to get started worrying about it at this point. The several months required for wrapping his head around things were better spent now, before he went too quickly and acted before his head could be fully wrapped, therefore just causing turmoil.<p>

So yes, it had been a very awkward subject to broach, and he was in no way ready for that sort of thing, and by no means all that comfortable with the idea yet, but it was good to know where things stood. He was certainly _okay _with the outcome of their conversation, but he wasn't ready. There was no way he would come out of anything like that, if they were to go ahead and do it now, with a clear head. He owed to himself and Scorpius to think about it and make sure that all the right deep breaths were taken in time for them to both get out of it what they ought to.

Scorpius smiled at him. "Are you all right, Albus?"

"I'm fine," Albus said. "I'm definitely fine. And I think I will be."

"Good," Scorpius said. "I'm glad to hear that, you know. It makes me glad that you're happy."

"I am," Albus said. "And it's because of you."

"No, I can't take the credit," Scorpius said.

"You don't have to take it," Albus said. "But it's definitely yours. I'm giving it to you."


	43. No More Pretending

**Chapter 43**

**No More Pretending**

"Leave, Scorpius," Albus ordered.

"But I like watching you play Quidditch," Scorpius hissed under his breath, grinning at Albus. Albus did not smile back. Instead, he glared, and shoved against Scorpius' chest with the palm of his hand.

"Go away," Albus commanded, pushing Scorpius out of the entrance to the spectator stands of the Quidditch pitch.

"But I want to watch," Scorpius insisted.

"Leave!" Albus barked. "Don't make me hex you, Scorpius."

"It's just Quidditch practice," Scorpius said.

"No, it's _Gryffindor _Quidditch practice," Albus said. "And you're a _Slytherin. _Actually, you're the Slytherin captain. Which means that you need to leave, you sneaky Slytherin spy."

"Absolutely no fun," Scorpius said. "Fine. I'll see you later then. I hope you freeze." He was teasing, grinning still.

Albus raised an eyebrow. Scorpius could tell he had a comment, but he couldn't say it, in case of prying eyes or ears from the Gryffindor spectators, watching their team practice.

"Bye," Albus said, smirking once and turning away, back toward his team.

Scorpius pulled his cloak around him and turned back in the direction of the school. There was a well-defined path, stomped out by the stampede of Gryffindor players coming out to practice in the chill. Other than that, the snow was nearly two feet deep. Students melted paths on their way to Herbology or Care of Magical Creatures, and they became a network of grounds navigation. Albus came to the resolution that students were going to start climbing on broomsticks to shoot off to class if the snow didn't melt a little in the coming days.

Scorpius stomped his feet as he entered the castle, kicking snow off his boots so he didn't skate across the stone floor on his way back down to the Slytherin common room. He was thinking he would strike up a good game of chess with Scarlet, or Kirk, if Scarlet was too busy playing some other game with Nick. Or whatever else she might do. But he hadn't played chess against anyone but Albus in a while, and like Quidditch, Albus tended to best Scorpius in chess the last few times they had played. Not that Scorpius minded all that much… it was just… he needed to win on occasion.

He headed down toward the Slytherin common room, reciting the password. The brick wall parted for him, and he walked inside. Sclaret was lazing about by the fire, a book open on her lap and a sugar quill in her mouth, not being used, but clearly just being eaten.

"Hey Scarlet," he said, dropping onto the sofa by her feet. "Would you like to play some chess?"

She looked up. "Of course. Goodness I feel as if we haven't played in a while. But I want to talk to you."

"You do?" he said. "What about?"

"Just stuff," she said, glancing around the common room. "We should maybe head some place a little more private, you know?"

"Oh yeah…" he said. "Of course. Let's just get our chess sets and then we can head to an empty classroom."

"Okay," she said, springing up. She headed toward the girls' dorms and Scorpius toward the boys'. He pushed open the door, finding Kirk, Nick and, shockingly, the only other Gryffindor Scorpius had ever seen in the Slytherin dorms. It was Owen, and the two of them were having an in dept conversation while a sixth year Slytherin girl lounged on Kirk's bed, apparently providing her input every so often.

"Hey," Scorpius said.

They all looked up at him. Nick looked embarrassed, redness flooding to his cheeks. Kirk and Owen were different. They looked a little flustered that he had walked in on their conversation, but they didn't look particularly embarrassed by it.

"Hi, fag," Owen said.

Scorpius froze. He ignored the comment and walked toward his trunk, unlocking it with his wand—the wand that would open it—and digging around for his chess set.

"How does your family get off, Malfoy, with all their high and mighty blood purity, and yet, their own son is a shirt-lifter?" Kirk wondered.

"Excuse me?" Scorpius said, finding his chess set and pulling out.

"It's true, isn't it?" Kirk said. "All this time you've been… and we've changed in the locker room in front of you, in dorm room… and the whole time you could just be… It's not okay."

"I'm not exactly concerned with your definitions of okay," Scorpius said. "And, just to let you know, Kirk, I never looked twice at you. I'm not a pervert."

"Mates…" Nick said.

"It's not right," Kirk said.

"Shut up," Scorpius said. "I can like who I want to like, okay?"

"So you think you can just walk around the way you are? People are going to have a problem with it," Owen said.

"_We _have a problem with it," Kirk contributed.

"You don't know what people think," Scorpius said. "Now excuse me."

"I think you ought to move out of this dorm room," Kirk said.

"And where do you suggest I go?" Scorpius questioned.

"I don't want you in here. That's all I know," Kirk said. "I'm not okay with this."

"You really need to get your head out of your own arse," Scorpius said, tucking his chess set under his arm and walking out of the dorm room. He slammed the door on them, letting himself seethe. He knew this was going to happen. He didn't find himself upset, but more angry. Of course there were going to be people that had these feelings—he had known that forever. The words stung, of course they did, but they weren't his largest problem. The problem was the fact that Kirk, who had been his friend since they had started sharing a dorm first year, was suddenly against him without a second thought. And Nick, the boyfriend of his _best friend, _was in there supporting the little anti-gay powwow.

"What's wrong?" Scarlet demanded, catching sight of Scorpius' bright red face as he stomped out of the boys dormitory hallway.

"I think there are a few things we need to talk about," he spat. "I don't think we'll be playing chess."

-CD-

"Bloody cold," Rose complained, rubbing at her red cheeks as they walked through the snow back toward the castle.

"Isn't it great?" Albus said, breathing in the sharp chill of the air. "It's great." The cold was allowing him to forget the fact that he'd been down a player at Quidditch practice.

"Says you," she grumbled.

"Come here," he said, offering his arm to put around her. "Merlin, the way you complain, Rose…"

"Shut up," she said. "I'm thin. The air blows right through me."

"Oh I'm sure," he said, chuckling. "Rose, I was wondering if we could talk about some stuff."

"Since when can we not talk about stuff?" she said. "Of course we can Albus. We can always talk, about whatever you want to talk about."

"I know," he said. "I just feel like… sometimes I burden you with all of my issues, and you never have anything to burden me with."

"Al, I'm pretty happy with my life right now," she said. "I'm on the right track to the job I want, and I have a boyfriend who I'm happy to be with. What's there to burden you with?"

"I don't know," Albus said. "I just feel bad. On top of that, I'm crushing your happiness with my dreariness."

"You've been far from dreary lately, Albus," she said. "Far from it. You seem so happy. And that makes me happy. I don't think I've seen you this happy since… second or third year, maybe? It's been a while. I'm glad it's back."

"Well…" he said, stomping his feet as they entered the castle. "I suppose that sort of relates to what I want to talk to you about."

"Oh?" she said.

"Yeah," he said. He found an empty classroom and pushed the door open, leading the way inside.

"Sure…" she said. "Pick the chilliest wing of the school."

"We could go to the dungeons if you'd like," he said. "I'm sure it's much warmer there."

She grinned gently and flopped into a chair at a desk. Albus didn't sit, but instead leaned against the desk next to hers, shoving his hands in his jeans pockets to keep counteract the chill.

"Rose," he said. "I have something I need to tell you."

"Okay," she said, smiling at him. "I'm all ears, Albus."

"I… I think I know why I've been so depressed for so long," he said. "I was trying to be something I'm not, Rose, and it wasn't working for me. It's taken until recently to figure things out, to realize what's really _me. _I finally figured out who I am. It was Scorpius who helped me get there."

"I'm glad," she said. "I'm so glad you're happier again, Albus. But are you going to tell me who you are? What were you pretending to be?"

"I was… pretending to be…" Albus trailed out, not sure if the way he was saying this was the best way. But he knew no other way to do it. "I was pretending to be straight Rose. But I'm not. Not really. I'm gay. Yeah. Me. Gay."

She looked at him carefully for a moment, and he turned his knuckles white as he gripped the desk in anticipation of her reply. He knew she would be okay, she had to be okay with it.

"I know," she said. "I mean, I've figured, Albus."

"What?" he said, shocked.

"I've just been waiting for you to tell me," she said, reaching out to squeeze his hand. "I'm sad it took you this long."  
>"I just figured it out for myself in December," Albus said, defending himself.<p>

"I figured it out once you became matey with Scorpius," she said. "I don't… there was just something about the way you two interact."

"Yeah…" Albus said. "About that… I have his full permission to tell you—just as he has my full permission to tell Scarlet about me—that he's gay too, Rose."

"I knew that too," she said. "Sometimes things are just obvious to those of the fairer sex, Albus."

"You knew?" Albus demanded. "Merlin! Does _everyone _know? Teddy said he knew too!"

"You told Teddy?" she said. "Wow… But no, everyone does not know, Albus. Just me, and I guess Teddy. But James has no clue… Lily's a little more suspicious… but everyone else is in the dark. No one spends enough time with you to figure it out… No one has seen how much you've changed since you've been hanging out with Scorpius even in the past couple of weeks, especially."

"Yeah…" Albus said. "About that… I have something else to tell you."

"No, no!" she said. "Let me guess, please. I bet I can guess."

He groaned. "Rose…"

"Please?" she begged.

"Ugh. Fine," he said. "Go ahead and guess. You're probably right anyway. Everything in my life is clearly very obvious to you."

"Well… yeah," she said. "It is. But I would like to guess that as soon as Scorpius tried to out himself to the school by besmirching his own name throughout the corridors of the castle, you two have been snogging. A lot. Just my guess."

"You know it was him?" Albus demanded, temporarily sidetracked.

"Albus, it was _obvious," _she moaned. "No one but me is that good at magic in this school. Merlin. You would think the professors would have figured it out by now… That, however, is not really the point of this conversation. The point is the part about the snogging. Am I right? I know I'm right."

Albus finally blushed appropriately for the topic. "Yeah."

"Yeah, I thought so," she said. "And you like it. A lot. You've got yourself some romance there, Al. I'm glad. I'm happy."

Albus grinned a little. "I'm happy too. And I really mean it."

He knew that, to Rose, that was the best news of all. She didn't care whether he was gay or straight or whatever. She was too intelligent for her own good, and particularly too intelligent for the good of others and their secrets, but at the same time, she was the best friend he could ask for. Obviously, judging by her nonchalance with the subject, she didn't care. She just wanted him to be happy. And she knew he was.


	44. Confronting Beaters

**Chapter 44.**

**Confronting the Beaters**

"What do you want to talk about?" Scarlet asked, shoving the door to an empty classroom open and dragging a still-fuming Scorpius inside. She forced him to sit down at a desk and then pulled a chair to sit directly opposite him. "What has made you so upset?"

"I'm not upset," he said. "I'm just angry."

"Scorpius, anger is part of being upset. Merlin. You'll be in tears in ten minutes, I know you," she said.

"I very rarely cry, Scarlet," he argued.

"Yes, I know, I know," she said. "Come on, Scorp. Talk to me, here."  
>"I went into my dorm room, and there's a fun collection of Slytherins and a Gryffindor in there, talking about <em>me. <em>Yes. Me. And what they should do about the fag that is roaming the school."

"They called you a…" she trailed off.

"Among other things," Scorpius said tersely. He crossed his arms. "It was suggested that I move out of my dorm room, because of course I'll be ogling every bloke that walks within three miles of me. All I can dream about is sucking—"

"Scorp, Scorp, Scorp," Scarlet cut him off and squeezed his hand soothingly. "Who was in there?"

"Owen, from Gryffindor, one of Albus' friends." _Not any longer, _he thought. "And Kirk, who was the one that suggested I move out of the dorm room, some Gryffindor sixth year girl, who Kirk appears to be defiling, and then… um…"

"Say it," Scarlet said, crossing her arms. "I saw him go back there not that long before. I'm going to kill him."

"Nick," Scorpius said.

"I'm going to cut his balls of," she said, clearly contemplating it. "Yes, I think that will suffice." She seemed frighteningly calm, save for the words coming out of her mouth.

"He tried to get them to be quiet, I think," Scorpius said. "I don't think he agreed."  
>"Did he stand up for you?" she said. "Because if he didn't even try to stand up for you, I'm done with him. You're my best friend, and as much as I love Nick, I don't think I love him anymore."<p>

"You loved him?" Scorpius questioned.

"It doesn't matter," she said. "Not now. You're more important to me. I love you more."

"Thanks, Scar," he said.

"Don't worry about it," she said. "Of course I would do it for you. I would do anything for you, Scorpius."

"Well, then, do you want to have a bit of a celebration for me?" he asked.

"Why?" she said.

"I'm… Albus and I are… together. Secretly. He's gay, Scarlet. He gave me permission to tell you. We started snogging… the day I put those messages up on the wall," he said.

"Of course," she said, laughing. "I knew it. Didn't I keep telling you to not give up? I suppose that fell on deaf ears then? Of course he's gay, Scorpius. I told you so. And I'm so happy for you, I'm glad that you've got him… You seem so much happier now."

"I am," Scorpius said. "It's everything I've been looking for. I mean, of course, it's a little awkward, and we're taking it slowly, of course. Of course to all of that."

"But you're still happy, and that's what matters," she said. "I'm so glad, Scorpius. He's a good one."

"He is," Scorpius said. "I really care about him."

"I know you do," she said. "I know. And everyone knows that you're a great person, no matter what, Scorpius. Just arses like Owen and Kirk and… I guess Nick… don't get it. I'm going to go find him. Do you think it would be in bad taste for both of us to fix him to the chandelier in the Charms hallway by the back of his neck? Not painfully, of course… just so all the blood goes to his toes. And we take his clothes…"

"Scarlet…" Scorpius said, laughing a little. "Merlin."

"Oh come on," she said, standing up and grabbing his hand. "It'll be fun."

"Fun?" he said. "Sometimes you amaze me, Scarlet."

"Come _on," _she said, dragging him out of the classroom. "Merlin, Scorpius this is going to be a good time!"

She dragged him all the way back down to the Slytherin common room. Nick was sitting comfortably and unwittingly on one of the couches, apparently working on an essay for some class of his.

"Nicolas," Scarlet said acidly, reaching into the pocket of her tight jeans for her wand. Despite Nick being in the gathering in the seventh year dorm room, Scorpius couldn't help but feel for the kid. Merlin only knew what Scarlet was going to do to him.

"Hey, love," Nick said, turning his head to smile at her. The smile faltered quickly upon seeing the look of pure anger on Scarlet's face. "What's wrong?"

"I'm afraid," Scarlet said. "That I'm going to have to break up with you."

"What?" Nick said, swinging his legs off of the couch and standing up to face her. "What do you mean? Why?"

"Because you're an arse and a prat," she said simply. "I don't actually quite know what your problem is, but you've managed to made me extremely angry."

"What did I do?" Nick demanded. "Scarlet…"

"What's this I hear about a group of people gathering in Scorpius' dorm room, talking about him? Telling him he can't actually sleep there anymore?" Scarlet said. "Nick, I don't even understand why you would be a part of that… why… why can't Scorpius just be who he is? What's wrong about it? It's love, isn't it? No matter what, it's love. How can anyone say that that sort of feeling is wrong? I thought I loved you, I did. And that feeling… I can't imagine if someone told me that it was wrong, that I was wrong, or disgusting because of it. What difference does it make who it's with? What difference does it make what person makes another person's heart flutter and pound… or who makes them blush or squirm, or their stomach flip over? Why should it matter to you, or to anyone else but that person?"

Scorpius stared at her. He loved Scarlet. She was the best friend a person could ever ask for. He knew it. If she had any idea how much her speech meant to him… well he doubted she would ever fully understand how much she meant to him at that moment. He would be lost without her. Sure, she had her faults, but in the end, she made up for them a million times. Because she really understood, as much as a straight girl could understand.

-CD-

"Why weren't you at practice?"

Confrontations with teammates was one of Albus' least favorite things in life. A member of the team who wasn't devoted was about as miserable as a double Transfiguration lesson. He didn't want to make anyone discontented with the team, and he didn't need to make any enemies with people who had come down with the sniffles and couldn't come out to practice in the cold. But he thought he was due a little bit of an explanation.

Owen looked up at him.

"I had something else that needed to be attended to," Owen said.

The seventh year Gryffindor boys' dorm was empty except for the two of them. Owen was reclined on his bed, reading a Muggle Studies text. Albus stood next to his bed, hands in his pockets.

"What?" he asked, trying not to be a prick.

"Just a problem in the school," Owen said.

"Hogwarts has very few problems," Albus said, suspicious. "Anything I can help with?"

"Unless you're on board to get Hogwarts queer free, I think not," Owen said.

"Huh? What are you talking about?"Albus demanded, fury bubbling beneath his skin.

"I thought so," Owen said, rolling his eyes. "Your friend, Malfoy. A few of us have a problem with him."

"Oh? So you skipped out on practice to plot on how to get him out of here?" Albus said. "Good job, Owen. You just cost yourself your position on the team."

"You can't do that," Owen said, furiously sitting up.

"Watch me," Albus said. "Don't mess with him, Owen. He's a great person, he's a nice bloke, and you're being an ignorant prat! So leave him alone, or you'll have to answer to me, and a good number of other people who feel the same way."

"I'm beginning to think you're just as queer as he is," Owen spat. "The way you go on, Potter. You watch yourself, you could make a lot of people very upset in a Quidditch locker room. Mark my words."

"Consider them marked," Albus said. "Meanwhile, I'll get your things brought up from the locker room for you. Believe me, Owen, there are many more decent people in this world than there are people like you."

Albus walked back out of the dorm room, gabbing his Muggle winter coat and closing the door behind him.

"Rose?" he asked as he entered the common room.

"Yes?" she said, looking up at him.

"Could you make a sign for me? We're holding trials again. Gryffindor appears to be in need of a Beater." Rose didn't even question him.

"Yeah, I'll make one and post it. Trials next weekend?"

"Sounds good," Albus said. "We'll do them for the first half of practice."

"Done," she said.

"Thanks," he said. "I'm going to talk to Professor Longbottom."

"He's not out at the greenhouse office," Rose said, noting his coat. "He's in the staff room, but he's leaving for home soon."

"Oh of course," Albus said. "I'll make it quick then. I just want to make sure he's okay with me eliminating a team member."

He climbed out of the portrait hole, practically colliding headlong with Scorpius.

"Oh," Scorpius said, laughing. "Hey, Al."

"Hi," Albus said, finding it impossible not to smile.

"I was just coming up to ask if you if you wanted to go to the library. I was going to play some chess with Scarlet, but I think she's too busy castrating Nick right now."

"Oh…" Albus said, cringing. "Why?"

"Kirk and Owen are planning to oust me from the good graces of Hogwarts society, and Nick was hanging out with them as they discussed it. Needless to say, Scarlet didn't quite approve," Scorpius said.

"Yeah? I just gathered that much from Owen. He skipped out on practice. I kicked him off the team… I was going to run and clear it with Professor Longbottom…"

"I'll back you up. Owen's the biggest arse of all of them. He and Kirk were spouting off words that I… Well they weren't very kind."

"What did they say?" Albus demanded, his hands clenching into fists at his side.

"They called me a fag. And a shirt-lifter. You know I've never quite understood _that _term," Scorpius said.

"You've got to be kidding me," Albus said, reaching for his wand, even though there was no one around to curse.

"I'm kidding no one," Scorpius said.

"I can't believe they had the guts to call you that…" Albus said. "Merlin, that makes me extremely angry, Scorpius. I thought Nick was your friend. And Kirk. I could very well string both of them up by their—"

"Don't worry about it. I think Scarlet has Nick covered," Scorpius said.

Albus cringed. "I don't envy that poor bastard. Not that he doesn't deserve it, it's just, Scarlet impresses me as the sort of girl that would be gifted in spells of male torture."


	45. People in Dreams

**Chapter 45.**

**People In Dreams**

"Good night," Albus said, giving Scorpius a quick hug, using the Marauder's Map to make sure the hallway was free of prying eyes.

Scorpius sighed, looking toward the brick wall that concealed the Slytherin common room. He looked quite like he didn't want to go in there. Albus didn't blame him. Who knew what was waiting for him in his dormitory?

Albus sighed then too. "You don't want to go in there, do you?"

"No," Scorpius said. "It's not that I don't think I need to stand up for myself. More so, it's that I don't want to deal with them. Not tonight. I don't need the drama."

"We could go to the Room of Requirement again," Albus said, taking his hand carefully.

"Okay…" he said. "I think maybe we should."

"Are you okay?" Albus asked him.

"I'm fine," he said.

"No you're not," Albus said, crossing his arms. He looked Scorpius in the eyes. "You're upset."

"I'm not," Scorpius insisted, starting in the direction of the Room of Requirement.

Albus caught his arm. "Yes, you are."

"I can't be," Scorpius said. "I brought this upon myself."

"That's stupid," Albus said. "Just because you wanted to be yourself… Scorpius it isn't your fault that they're being prats. It's not your fault that they're daft and ignorant. You're allowed to feel pain because of what they say. I feel it. I feel it for you. It makes me angry. And now, it's making me more angry that you're upset. And it's making me sad too…"

"Don't be sad…" Scorpius said. "Merlin Albus, I didn't want to bring you down with me."

"You're not," Albus said, reaching out and touching his cheek. "I'm fine. But only if you're fine. You have to be fine, Scorp."

"I am…" Scorpius insisted. "You don't need to worry about me."

"Don't tell me what I do or don't need to do, Scorpius," Albus said sternly, grabbing both of Scorpius' hands. "I will worry about you. And you can't tell me not to. I won't believe you. Not that easily."

Scorpius sighed, nodding a little. Albus put his arms around him, stretching up a little to kiss him. Scorpius put his arms around him too, sinking carefully into the kiss. Albus felt him relax, his shoulders and arms becoming less tense as he encircled Albus. Scorpius sucked on Albus' lower lips, then moved his kisses down Albus' neck, making the skin tingle and goosebumps rise in his wake.

"Oh… Oh Merlin," the shocked voice echoed through the low stone corridor. Albus jumped away from Scorpius, flying across the corridor at the sound of an intruder. He looked up to see a sixth-year Slytherin girl that Albus didn't know, staring at the both of them in utter shock.

Scorpius cleared his throat loudly. "Hi, Lizzie."

"Um… hi," she stumbled, her eyes darting back and forth between them. Albus had to admit, it had to be a bit of a shock to see two big blokes sucking face in the hallway. It wasn't exactly the norm.

She hurried past them and mumbled the password to the Slytherin common room, hurrying inside. Albus and Scorpius watched after her.

"We're fucked," Albus said, leaning against the wall.

"No…" Scorpius said. "She's not really one to talk."

"Scorpius, you tell me. If you saw two blokes like _us _in the hallway _kissing, _you would tell _someone. _And that someone might be one to talk."

Scorpius sighed. "Albus, it will be fine."

"Everyone's going to know…" Albus said, sinking to the floor. The world was suddenly spinning, whirling a hundred miles an hour. "My parents are going to find out… and I haven't told them. I'm not ready to tell them…" Bile rose in his throat, and he found himself quickly becoming nauseous.

"Hey," Scorpius said, sitting next to him. "Hey, Albus… it'll be okay."

"You don't know that," he said. "Scorpius, my parents don't know. And it will get back to them… How… how… I can't do this. I can't hurt them like that, I can't." He took a shuddering breath and rested his forehead on his knees. Scrunching up his face in distress, trying to keep the tears inside his eyes.

"It's okay," Scorpius said.

"It's_ not _okay, Scorpius, stop trying to tell me it is!" Albus moaned. "I'm not ready for people to know. We were going to take it slowly. This could ruin everything."

"What is it going to ruin?" Scorpius asked gently, putting a hand on Albus' shoulder. Albus glanced up at him, realizing for the first time that utter terror was reflected in Scorpius' face too. He wasn't planning on this. He didn't know how to handle it anymore than Albus did.

"Scorpius, I am who I am," Albus said. "But I have a Quidditch career to think about… What if… what if I don't get any offers, because of this?"

Scorpius stared at him, swallowing.

"Oh Merlin… Albus… I never thought of that."

"I know," Albus said. "I never thought I would have to."

Scorpius shook his head. "I'm so, so, sorry, Albus."

Albus put his head back down, trying to rid himself of the sudden onset vertigo. He swallowed, trying to keep the vomit from rising up his esophagus any further.

"Albus, are you okay? I mean, physically?" Scorpius wondered.

"I don't know," Albus said. "Let's go the Room of Requirement."

-CD-

Scorpius watched Albus carefully. The smaller boy sat on the edge of the bed, staring off it at the floor. Scorpius had one hand stretched to reach Albus' half comforting him, while keeping a good distance while lying down.

"Oh Merlin," Albus said.

"What?" Scorpius said.

"Well I don't think I'm going to throw up anymore," Albus said, swinging his legs up onto the bed and flopping onto his back. Scorpius rolled on his side to look at him.

"That's good, isn't it?" Scorpius wondered.

"Yes, it's good," Albus said. "I guess. Except… I still don't know what I'm going to do."

Scorpius was quiet for several long moments before he spoke again.

"I have a question," he announced, twisting his fingers into Albus'.

"Okay…" Albus said.

"Up until today, up until that moment… were you happy, Albus?" Scorpius wondered.

Albus was quiet now too.

"Yes, I suppose I was," Albus said. "Happier than I've been in a long time, at least. You make me happy. Being with you makes me happy. It's like someone took a fifty pound brick off my chest. I can breathe again. I can move again. I can have life."

Scorpius felt hi heart pick up pace at Albus' words. "Really?"

"Yes, really," Albus said, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "I can finally be myself, and it took someone... someone I could see myself being with, to let me do that. It took you to show me that I could be happy without trying to impress anyone. I had to let myself forget my last name for a while. And my first, and my middle. I'm just a person, who's interested in other people, who could feel a lot for those people. And there's nothing wrong with that."

"I'm glad," Scorpius said, smiling at him. "I'm really glad, actually."

"Are you?" Albus said.

Scorpius splayed his hand over Albus' heart, spreading his fingers out so that the beat radiated through all of his fingers.

"What are you doing?" Albus asked, and even Scorpius could detect a slight increase in pace. He smiled.

"I'm just letting myself know that you're alive. That this is real. People in dreams don't have heartbeats, do they?" Scorpius wondered.

"I wouldn't know," Albus said, chuckling. He lifted his hand to put it over Scorpius'.

"Feel that," Scorpius said. "That's the heartbeat of someone who has the whole capacity to love someone, anyone, infinitely. And it doesn't care who, boy, girl, anything. It's all love, it's all the same, in the grand scheme of things, isn't it?"

Albus smiled twisting their fingers together. But then he became serious. "Scorp, are you happy?"

"Of course," Scorpius said. "As happy as I think I ever was. I'm Scorpius Malfoy. Finally, really and truly. And I have someone I want to be with, who wants to be with me. Something I didn't think I would find for a long time, Albus."

Albus smiled again, softly, and squeezed Scorpius' hand. They looked at each other in soft silence, the steady rhythm of Albus' slightly accelerated heartbeat thrumming beneath their intertwined fingers, brushing palms. Scorpius could hear it, almost, the thudding and beating, the valves opening and closing. It was a rhythm to match the waves of the sea, somewhere in the distance, as they crashed onto shore and receded, a steady, perpetual motion.

"I'm worried," Albus said. "I know I've said that about everything, about you and me, and people knowing about you. But this is bigger. This is more than that. This is everything, Scorpius. It could be ruining to everything we've both built over the past seven years. And everything that we've constructed since September, you and me."

"Albus, it's only ruining if we let it be, and we won't let it be," Scorpius said. "We can't let other people choose things for us. There's always a way."

"What if the only Quidditch team that could want me now is the Cannons?" Albus moaned.

"You know," Scorpius said. "I would bet the entirety of my bank account at Gringotts that scouts are much more interested in the skills of the players than in their relationships. And if it's skill they're looking for, you've got it."

"The other people… not the scouts," Albus said. "The teammates and the fans, that's who I'm worried about."

"Fuck them and their damn opinions," Scorpius said simply. Albus stared at him. After a moment, Scorpius grinned.

"Oh Merlin," Albus said. "Did you seriously just say that?"

"What, never thought I could use language like that?" Scorpius said. "But I mean it, Albus. Who cares what your teammates think. If they're anything like you, they should think more along the lines of how much you're going to help their team win. And the fans won't care, as long as you're a good player, Albus."

Albus nodded. "Yeah. Yeah."

"It'll be okay," Scorpius said. He didn't know it, but he would keep saying it a thousand times if he had to. He just needed to make sure that Albus wasn't going to sink back into that pit of depression. There was no way Scorpius could let the happy Albus fade away, now that he had seen him. Not on his watch.

"I need…" Albus said. "I think I need to tell my parents, Scorpius, before they hear it from someone else."

Scorpius nodded. "We can do that."

"But we can't leave school," Albus said.

"There are some exceptions," Scorpius said. "I think Professor Longbottom would listen to you."

"He would, but he's not going to be back until Monday morning."

"You mean, you want to tell them tomorrow or something?" Scorpius said.

"They need to hear it from me," Albus said. "And you have no idea how fast things get back to my parents from the school."

"But Al, are you ready to tell them?" Scorpius wondered.

"I have no choice, do I?" Albus said. "It's done. I have to tell them. And Lily. And James. And…"

"Okay," Scorpius said. "Come on, we'll get the permission for you to go of Professor Higgs. And you can tell Lily, and you can Floo James, right?"

"Right…" Albus said.

"You'll be home in no time."

"But you… you're coming with me, right?" Albus wondered.

"Oh…" Scorpius said. "I mean, I guess I could."

"I need you to," Albus said.

"Oh…" Scorpius said. "Then of course I'll be there."

He would do anything Albus needed him to. Because this was his own fault. The blame would be on him if Albus lapsed back into his depression. If Scorpius hadn't started this… it never would've happened.


	46. A Closet Door Blown Open

_**A/N: Hey all... Sorry that I haven't updated in a while. The play I'm working on has reached show week. I am very busy. And then it was sort of like... oh crud. Fanfic. Right... So I'm sorry! Just a couple of things to say: Yeah, I know this was a pretty rapid turn of events. Yeah. And then... there was an interesting one word review anonyously that I just got. A little upsetting. For one thing, I have stressed that I myself am straight. But that doesn't matter. That word is offensive. I don't know why, if you, reviewer are still reading this, that you would say that, but seriously, cut the crap. If you happen to read this and you mean it, really, go get a life and find other things to do other than being an intolerant, ignorant, idiot. Thanks. **_

**Chapter 46.**

**A Closet Door Blown Open**

"Nope, I'm going to throw up," Albus said, turning around and stepping off the front step again.

'Stop, Albus," Scorpius said.

"No, I really think I'm going to be sick," Albus said.

"It will be fine," Scorpius said.

"Oh yeah?" Albus said. "Is everything with your parents fine?"

"I mean…" Scorpius said. He winced.

"Yeah," Albus said. "Exactly."

"Well you said yourself that you have to do it," Scorpius said. "And if you have to do it, then you have to do it."

"Right," Albus said, shaking his head. "I suppose you're right."

Scorpius nodded and stepped aside so that Albus could get to the door. He reached out to open the door, which would only open for someone with Potter blood, or who was married to a Potter, and he pushed it open.

"Who's there?" he heard his father's voice demand. His father rounded the corner, confused. His eyes stumbled across Albus. "Al? What… are you okay? What are you doing here?"

"I… I'm fine," Albus said. "I just came because I wanted to talk to you. And Mum."

"I think… I think I'm going to go take a walk," Scorpius said. He turned and walked out before Albus could protest. But he supposed that Scorpius knew… that Scorpius was right. Albus figured it would be easier for all three of them, now, in the moment, if it was just a family matter.

"What… what's going on Albus?" his dad wondered. "Come into the kitchen. Your mother's just making breakfast. We slept in today. We weren't expecting you… obviously. Is everything okay?"

"It's… fine, I guess," Albus said, following his father into the kitchen. His mother looked up as they entered.

"Albus!" she said. "What are you doing here? Is everything all right, honey?"

"Hi, Mum," he said as she leaned in to hug and kiss him. He hadn't come home from Hogwarts any time but the holidays since he was in the middle of the worst part of his depression.

"Hi…" she said. "Honey… why are you here? Don't get me wrong, I love seeing you. I'm just confused…"

"He says he needs to talk to us," his father said. "I don't know what about."

His mum put her spatula down and wiped her hands on a towel. "Okay." She came around the counter and sat down at the kitchen table, with Albus and his father sitting down after her.

"I… I have been thinking things through a lot in the past few months," Albus said. "You know, about how I came to be so depressed… At the beginning of last term, I started feeling as if everything that I had worked for… you know, everything that made me a least a little happier… I felt as if it was starting to go in reverse. I felt worse. I felt like I wanted to sleep all day… and I wasn't as much worried about it, as I was aloof. But It's gotten better. It's gotten a lot better."

"I'm glad," his mum said. "Albus, you should've told us about this. If we had known you were feeling this way, we—"

"You would've set up some appointments for me to speak with people that will never know me. They'll never get to the root of my problems. Not if I myself didn't know them," Albus said. "I've got it. I figured it out. I mean, somewhat. I figured out one of the problems, at least. I mean, there are a bunch of them, but I'm getting better at it. The stuff about not being good enough, of trying to be… Harry Potter's son."

His father cringed at that, looking downward, as if he was ashamed of his triumphs—or at least the effect they had on his son.

"What is it then?" his father asked. "Are you going to tell us? Is that why you're here?"

"Yes," Albus said. "it is why I'm here. Sort of. I hadn't been planning to tell you this—not yet. But it's sort of floating around Hogwarts… rumor mills, you know… And I wanted you to hear it from me first, instead of from some other source. I need to be the one to tell you."

His mother's forehead crinkled. "What is it, Albus?"

"It took a lot of self-searching to come to this conclusion," Albus said. "If that's what you want to call it. I finally accepted it in December, and I'm a lot happier now. I just wanted to tell you that. A lot happier. And you might be disappointed.—" he ran his fingers through his hair. "Or mad at me, or something, but I have to tell you."

"Okay, it's okay, " his mother said. "We won't be disappointed in you, Albus. We love you."

"Of course we do," his father seconded.

"Mum… Dad… I don't really know how else to say this, so I'm just going to spit it out there, okay? I'm… gay."

His parents stared at him for a moment, letting the words make their way across the many regions of their brains. Albus cleared his throat and ran his fingers through his hair again. His parents looked at each other, his father blinking a few times, as if trying to see Albus a little more clearly.

"Oh Merlin," Albus said, putting his head in his hands.

"Oh, Albus, sweetheart," his mother said, getting up out of her chair and putting her arms around him. She hugged him tightly. "Albus… are you certain?"

"Yes, I'm certain," he said.

"Okay," she said, kissing him on the forehead. "I'm glad you're happier now…"

"I am," Albus said. "I am a lot happier." He looked over her shoulder as she hugged him, looking at his father. His father appeared to be calculating still, thinking about something. Obviously, Albus knew what he was thinking about. He was wrapping his head around it.

"You look worried, Albus," his father said finally.

"I am," Albus said.

"You shouldn't be," his dad said. "We love you. I love you, your mother loves you. You know that. No matter what. I'm glad you told us about this, and I'm glad you're happier now too." He got up and walked over to Albus, putt his arms around him too.

"We can't say we're not surprised," his mum said. "But it doesn't matter. It would never matter, Albus."

-CD-

Scorpius waited patiently at the corner of the Potter's house, admiring the magical winter plants that flourished in Mrs. Potter's side garden. He figured to any passerby, Muggle or wizard, he looked a tad worrying. He leaned against the house with his hands shoved in the pockets of his jacket, waiting, to give the Potters some time as a family.

He had conjured a charm to heat the inside of his jacket so that he didn't freeze, and he waited.

"Hey," Albus said, appearing next to him all of a sudden. "Are you going to come back in?"

"If you'd like," Scorpius said. "How did it go?"

"It went well…" Albus said, smiling a little. "A little rough, I guess… maybe that was just for me. But they're great parents. I'm so lucky to have them."

"I'm glad it went well," Scorpius said, smiling at him. "Did you tell them… about us?"

"I had to," Albus said. "They would've heard about it eventually. They're happy for us, I guess… I mean, a little overwhelmed… And obviously, they're thinking twice about letting you sleep in my room when you visited over Christmas…."

Scorpius laughed. "See, it's all okay. Albus, didn't I say it would be?"

Albus smiled slightly. "I should listen to you."

"I just knew," Scorpius said. "I knew that there was a difference between my parents and your parents. Just the way they take things…"

"I'm sure everything will be fine with your family too," Albus said, squeezing his hand. "But for the sake of not overwhelming my parents, we should probably make sure there's a good distance between us when we go inside. For the time being, at least."

"I think I can bear it," Scorpius said, chuckling a little.

"Good," Albus said. "Look, they're just getting adjusted to this idea, obviously. This might be the most awkward moment of your life. And mine."

"For now," Scorpius said. "But I think we can handle it. I can handle it."

"Good, you can handle it for both of us," Albus said, laughing a little.

"Oh come on," Scorpius said. "It will be fine."

Albus led the way to the door and pushed it open, Scorpius following him carefully. He couldn't deny he wasn't nervous. The Potters were great people. They had been so kind to him when he had been there during the holidays. Now it was different though. For everyone. They were hit full in the face by the truth about their son, and now, they were already meeting his… boyfriend. It would be awkward for all parties. Not to mention the fact that Scorpius now had to win their approval. It had been all well and good when Albus had simply wanted to be _friends _with Draco Malfoy's son. Now it was a little different. Obviously.

The Potter parents were waiting in the kitchen, Mr. Potter's hand clasped around his wife's, and they were talking softly with each other. They would have much time to mull it over once Albus and Scorpius headed back to school.

"Hi, Scorpius," Mrs. Potter said brightly. "How are you?"

"I'm very well, Mrs. Potter, thank you," Scorpius said politely. He realized, as Albus raised an eyebrow at him, that his stone sounded slightly grave.

"Well come on in then," Mr. Potter said. "We're making a late breakfast. How do you like your eggs Scorpius?"

-CD-

"That wasn't that bad," Albus said, as they walked up the Hogsmeade path, back to the castle.

"No, I told you it wouldn't be," Scorpius said.

"Remind me to listen to you," Albus said. "I have to talk to James now. And Lily. I'm sure Lily's heard it all by now, and it's not even three in the afternoon."

"Well, hopefully that Slytherin girl has kept her mouth shut," Scorpius said.

"I doubt it," Albus said. "She's at least told someone. And that person's told someone… you know how it goes. A massive chain reaction."

"You know, for all the pricks in the school, like Kirk and Owen, there are going to be good people too. Kinder people," Scorpius said, taking Albus' hand.

"They won't get it," Albus said.

"Not everyone will," Scorpius said. "We can't make them believe one way or another. There are some people that will never get it, and we can't force acceptance on them. We can, however, force toleration, right? There's a difference. They don't have to agree with it, they just can't destroy it either. And on top of that, there will be so many that will stand on sure feet behind us, backing us up."

"I'm banking on it," Albus said.

"Scarlet, Rose, Lily, your entire family. My friend Max, I'm sure…" Scorpius said.

"Nick," Albus said. "I bet he will."

"Why would he? He's too close to Kirk for that," Scorpius said.

"I don't think so," Albus said. "I think he gets what's pure arsehole behavior and what isn't. He just got caught up in it. I'm sure Scarlet's reamed him enough for it at this point…"

"We'll see then," Scorpius said, laughing a little. "I hope you're right."

"I'm right a lot," Albus said. "Perhaps not nearly as often as you are, Scorp, but often enough that people ought to remember it."

Scorpius laughed again. "All right, I'll try to remember that."

Albus laughed too, stretching up the short distance to give Scorpius a quick kiss


	47. Good Versus Evil

_**A/N: HI! I'm back from the ether. Anyway, I apologize completely for my absence from the fanfic world. I had a bit of a busy week last week, and my writing sort of fell by the wayside. I was also starting my NaNoWriMo, so that distracted me this past weekend. I also had my play, and some work to do and this and that and... I'm done making excuses. I'm back, and so are Scorp and Al. Enjoy!**_

**Chapter 47.**

**Good Versus Evil**

"Oh Merlin, Albus." Rose grabbed him by the wrist as soon as he and Scorpius had walked inside. "Where have you been?"

"I told you," Albus said. "I was going to see Mum and Dad…"

"Lily is looking for you," she said, as she dragged him along. Scorpius was left to pick up his pace to keep up with them. "Actually, everyone's looking for you. Some Slytherin girl saw you and Scorpius…" she dropped her voice, "kissing! She's told everyone. And everyone is whispering about it. And obviously, Lily wants to know some stuff, Albus."

"Oh, is it bad?" Scorpius demanded, catching up to them. They heard a crowd of people coming at them down the hallway and Rose dragged Albus into a secret passageway, with Scorpius right behind them.

"It's not so much bad as shocking. Everyone is just really curious at this point… They just can't believe it… I don't know. No one has expressed any visible distaste about the whole thing… But you know, there's Kirk, and Owen…"

"And Nick," Scorpius contributed.

"I don't know, he and Scarlet are on pretty good terms," Rose said thoughtfully. Scorpius raised an eyebrow.

"Huh," Albus said thoughtfully.

"How were your parents?" Rose asked. Albus knew that, by that, she meant "How did telling your parents go?"

"They were great," Albus said. "They were so great. I'm glad I told them. I don't deserve them. They could've reacted any way. But they just told me they loved me and that it'd be okay."

"Oh good," Rose said. "I'm glad. I mean, I knew they would react that way, Al. But I'm glad just the same."

"Albus!" his younger sister's voice screeched as soon as he emerged on the Gryffindor floor. She bolted across a corridor and stopped him, grabbing his wrist.

"Hey," he said.

"I need to talk to you," she said.

"Okay," he said. "Come on."

"Let's go back into the corridor. We're more likely to be interrupted in the common room or in one of our dorms."

"Okay," Albus said. "Hey, Rose, Scorp, I'll be right back."

"Don't worry," Scorpius said. "I'm actually going to go find Scarlet."

"You kind of went in the wrong direction for that," Rose said.

"I know," he said.

"I'll go with you," she said.

"Come here," Lily said, pushing the door of the passageway open.

He followed her through the door, and she closed it behind them, illuminating her wand tip so that it wasn't too dark.

"Is is true?" she asked.

"Is what true?" he wondered.

"Are you gay?" she asked. "Are you… snogging Scorpius?"

He was quiet for a moment. He supposed he had only one way to reply. He carefully nodded his head, watching her brown eyes carefully for their reaction.

"Oh Al…" she said, putting her arms around him. "You should have told me."

"What was I supposed to say, Lils? It's been so all of a sudden for me. I wanted to be sure of everything, before I told anyone. But then we forgot ourselves and made the relationship a little obvious to a girl what all was going on. And then I had to go tell Mum and Dad so they didn't hear it from someone else…"

"You still should've told me," she said. "Albus… are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," he said. "I'm a lot happier now, I guess. Since I've accepted all of this, I mean."  
>"I'm glad," she said. "It's always good when you're happy, Albus. It makes the rest of us worry a lot less, you know."<p>

"I know," he said.

"Albus, I'm afraid for you," she said.

"Why?" he asked.

"Because. You have no idea how people have been reacting. Owen… he's gone on several homophobic tirades. Not in public view, but where people have overheard him."

"Lils, there will always be people like that," he said.

"Yes," she said. "I know that."

"And there will always be people on my side. On Scorpius' side. Backing up both of us."

"I suppose so," she said. "But you never know what Owen and the others might do. They're a bunch of arseholes, Al."

"I know that," he said. "You don't think I know that? We'll get through it, Lily."

"But…" she trailed off.

"What?"

"Never mind."

"Lily, _what?" _

"You'll be mad at me if I say it."

"Just tell me."

"Fine," she said. "I'm not sure if you can handle the sort of abuse and hate they're going to dish out to you. It's horrible, Albus. And I know you. I know how it all hurts you. And I know that right now, you're worried about your Quidditch career and you're not telling anyone."

"Lily…" he said.

"Don't tell me it's not true," she said. "You know yourself too, Albus. You know this might hurt you. I just am going to ask you… to not let it."

"Lily, I'll be fine," he insisted.

"You say that now," she said.

"Lily, you'll be one of the first to know if it doesn't go that way," he said.

"I doubt it," she said. "You'd tell a million people before you would tell me."

"That's where you're wrong," he said. "But that doesn't matter. You're my little sister. You don't need to worry about me. I'll worry about you. How's your boyfriend?"

She rolled her eyes. "None of your business."

"Hey," he said. "I'm a guy. I know what's on his mind…"

"Ew, Albus," she said.

"Don't ew me," he said, laughing. "I have older brotherly rights you know. Don't make me call James."

"James the hypocrite then," Lily said. "I overheard him telling Teddy about shagging his girlfriend. Apparently she's a real good fuck."

"Charming," Albus said, grinning.

"Yeah, I thought so," Lily said, rolling her eyes. "You need to tell him you know."

"Yeah, I know," Albus said. "I just have to survive this next week too. We'll see how that goes. We can't let the Quidditch cup slip from our grasps, Lils. It's ours. I'm not giving it away to any sneaky, whiny, sinister Slytherins."

"Like your boyfriend?"

-CD-

Scorpius walked into the Slytherin common room, bracing himself for any number of insults. He had his hand securely clasped on his wand, which was at his side, in case he needed it.

"Hey look, it's the fag." Kirk's voice cut through the common room. Instantly, at least half a dozen people were on their feet. Scarlet walked over briskly from by the fire to stand by Scorpius, grabbing her wand. But it wasn't her who spoke.

"Stop it Kirk," Nick said.

"I agree," another sixth year, Ivan Molkovitch, contributed.

Several others nodded their agreement.

Nick got up from by the fire too, walking over to put his arm around Scarlet.

"I'm sorry," he said to Scorpius.

"It's okay," Scorpius said.

"No, it's not," Nick said. "Believe me, I know I was wrong to even be in that room with them."

"What are you doing, Nick?" Kirk demanded.

"I'm doing what's right of me, Kirk. You're an arsehole." Nick glared at him.

"You're acting like a queer," Kirk accused.

"Shut up," Scorpius said.

"Excuse me?"

"Shut up," Scorpius said, clenching his hand around his wand. He walked swiftly across the common room so that he was standing a short distance away from someone he thought was his friend.

"No," Kirk said. "I won't shut up. What you're doing is wrong. It's wrong. I don't want it in my dorm room with me."

"I said shut up!" Scorpius lunged forward and slammed Kirk physically against the black brick wall of the common room, holding his wand level with Kirk's throat. Kirk stared at him, shocked, and paralyzed by fear. No one ever wanted to be on the wrong end of Scorpius' wand. He knew what he was doing, and they all knew he knew it. "Leave me the hell alone, do you hear me? You're an ignorant arsehole Kirk. I'd watch what you're saying, or else I will actually use this."

He flicked his wand upward, and Kirk's eyes followed it in fear. Scorpius released him and walked away, turning his back.

"Do you mind if I hex him?" Scarlet asked.

"No, go ahead," Scorpius said.

"You really shouldn't have given her permission," Nick said, shaking his head. Scorpius turned quickly to see Kirk Silenced and hanging by his ankle from some invisible hook in the air.

"Yes I should have," Scorpius said.

"I'm sorry, mate," Nick said. "I shouldn't have… even been in the same room as them. They're not right, in what they're saying, and I know that. I should have come to your defense. I was just… I was afraid of what they'd think of me. I shouldn't have just sat there idly."

"It's all right," Scorpius assured him. "No one needs to defend me. I'm pretty capable. And it doesn't matter what they think, Nick."

"It matters what they do, Scorpius," Nick said, shaking his head. "Even you couldn't stand up against a group of them. And there is a group, I know there is."

"Then maybe I need people to help me defend myself. And Albus," Scorpius said thoughtfully.

"So you two are… together… then?"

"This is awkward for you," Scorpius said. "You don't have to bring it up. I understand that it's awkward."

"I'm sorry, I'm just not used to it," Nick said.

"Look, I know you're not a bad bloke," Scorpius said. "But you don't have to pretend for me that you agree with this."

"Look yourself," Nick said. "I don't disagree with it, okay? You can be whatever you want to be. It's like Scarlet said, love is love, no matter what, right?" He looked over at her as she taunted Kirk from below.

"And you really love that?" Scorpius said, laughing a little.

"I can't help it," Nick said. "She's pretty bloody amazing."

Scarlet let Kirk fall in a heap on the floor, wiping her hands and tucking her wand into her pocket.

"She's a great person," Scorpius said. "Don't' mess with her."

"We're all friends here," Nick said, smiling a little.

'Hopefully our team will make it through this rift," Scorpius said, looking over as Kirk clambered into a standing position, scowling at the floor, blushing, and brushing his robes off.

"You're going to keep him on the team?" Nick said.

"I don't have a good reason to kick him off," Scorpius said.

"How about for being a homophobic arse weasel?" Scarlet suggested. "Higgs won't ask you for a good reason. He'll just accept it and move on, just because you're too nice to make any dumb decisions."

"Right," Scorpius said. "I'll think about it."

Nick nodded. "Scarlet… I was just apologizing."

"Oh good, I didn't have to make you," Scarlet said.

"You wouldn't have to make me," Nick said. "Scorp is a good person. He doesn't deserve the treatment Kirk is gave him—and is probably still going to give him."

"It's fine," Scorpius said. "I'll get over it. Don't worry."

"Will you?" Scarlet said. "Well if I do say so myself, I'm a pretty fair dueler, and Nick here isn't half bad, so if you ever need a little extra wand power on the good side—you know, in order to combat the evil forces that apparently plague Hogwarts society… then please call on us to be your aid."  
>"Thanks," Scorpius said. "And thank you for dealing with Kirk. I didn't want him even more pissed at me, even though I would have loved to clunk his head on the stone floor."<p>

"I think that drop from the air left him a tad dizzy," she said thoughtfully. "Oh well. Maybe it knocked some sense in to him. What do you think the chances of that are?"

Nick and Scorpius both looked over at Kirk, who was scowling still, and grumbling to the girl Scorpius had seen sprawled on his bed not too long ago.

"Very slim," Nick said.

"I agree," Scorpius said.

"Well… we can't all be smart," Scarlet said. "We might have to clunk him again."


	48. Comparing Apples to Oranges

_**A/N: I'm trying to get back in my grove guys. It's taking me a little bit here. **_

**Chapter 48.**

**Comparing Apples to Oranges**

Albus knocked on the door softly, shoving one hand into his pocket to keep it warmer. It was lunchtime, and he was supposed to be in the Great Hall, eating with the rest of his friends, but there were more important matters to attend to. Professor Longbottom opened the door to his office.

"Oh, Albus!" he said, seeming surprised. "Come in, it's freezing out there."

Albus walked into the well-heated greenhouse office, avoiding a slightly menacing plant with long, twiggy arms and claws.

"Harmless," Professor Longbottom informed him as he eyed it warily.

"Oh," Albus said. "Those are just for show then?"

"It's harmless if you don't try to eat it," Professor Longbottom said. "An unfortunate Scottish hare or two have found that out in their days, I'm sure. What can I help you with, Albus?"

"I need to talk to James," Albus said. "And I can't write him a letter, I need to see him… If I could use your fireplace… or someone's… I just need to talk to him."

"Oh that's fine. There's floo powder on my mantle. I was just about to head up to the castle to grab some lunch before my second years come in. You don't need more than a half an hour do you?"

"I shouldn't," Albus said. "Not if James doesn't hold me up. Which he shouldn't. I have to make sure I can get to Transfiguration on time. It would be a shame to miss that."

"Transfiguration was my second worst subject in school," Professor Longbottom said. "After potions. The only thing I was ever really good at was Herbology."

"My dad says you were pretty good at Defense too," Albus said, smiling a little.

"Well I'm glad your dad thinks so," Professor Longbottom said. "Give James a hello from me and Hannah."

"I will," Albus said.

Professor Longbottom left him alone in his office. Albus grabbed a handful of sparkly floo powder from the flower pot on the mantle. He conjured a charm to make the hearth a little more comfortable, and then knelt down, tossing the powder into the fireplace with the words of James' address.

His head burst into a Greek fireplace, where Casey was sitting at a kitchen table.

"Casey," Albus said.

The Quidditch Chaser jumped, turning quickly. "Albus?"

"Can I talk to James? Is he there?" Albus wondered.

"Yes, he just got in," she said. "I'll go get him."

Albus waited impatiently, feeling a sweat break out on his neck. He was glad that he had cushioned the hearth, because his kneecaps probably would already be aching otherwise.

"Albus?" James said, appearing in the doorway. He came over and sat in front of the fire. "What's up? Is something wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong," Albus said. "I just need to tell you something…"

"Okay…?" James said. "What do you have to tell me?"

"I've been telling a few people lately, so I'm sort of sick of the story," Albus said. "But I suppose I can sort of repeat it for the thousandth time if I need to…"

"If you need to," James said.

"Well I sort of want to clear a few things up before I blurt everything right out…" Albus said.

"Okay," James said. "Go ahead Albus, I don't know what you're waiting for."

"This is not an easy conversation, no matter how many times I've been saying it lately," Albus said. "You know how I've been depressed on and off, James?"

"Yeah," James said. "Of course I do, Al."

"Well…" Albus said. "I just… I know why. And I've been telling people why, James. Mom. Dad. Lily. People. And so I thought you deserved to know too. Even if I had to tell you through a floo connection from Scotland to Greece. I'm very glad this works."

"It's a British house, so it's connected to the British floo," James said. "There have been some charms to make it a little less… half of your body is in Britain, and your head is in Greece. If that makes sense."

"It does," Albus said.

"What do you need to tell me, Al?" James wondered.

"This is a little difficult for me," Albus said. "Give me a second."

"Take your time," James said, crossing his legs. He was being shockingly patient.

"I… I'm… uh…" Albus swallowed a couple of times. This was James. His older brother. They were brothers, men, together, joking about all sorts of things. Albus didn't know how he would react, what he would say. Albus had to tell him, but there was no way he would be able to handle it if James was angry or disgusted.

"Spit it out Al," James teased. But that was the sure way to get Albus to talk. Always.

"I like b- I'm gay," Albus spluttered.

"Oh…" James said. He was silent for a moment longer than Albus would've liked.

"But I'm a lot—" Albus started to go off into what had become a sort of mantra in the past few days about how happy he was now and everything, but James cut him off.

"It's fine, Albus," James said. "You don't need to justify it to me. You've been happier, and I'm glad of it. It's because you've realized this, isn't it? Or accepted it?"

"Yes," Albus said. Relief washed over him. He was glad James got it and he didn't have to explain for what felt like the thousandth time. His stomach, however, did not stop flip-flopping. He was still nervous.

"So…" James said. "Are you worried I wouldn't be okay with this?"

"A little…" Albus admitted.

"Well…" James said. "I feel like I should be surprised finding this out. But it sort of seems more like a decent explanation, just one I couldn't find out myself. Does that make sense?"

"Yeah."

"So I mean… do people at school know?" James wondered.

"Yeah," Albus said. "It was an accident though. I didn't want them to know. Not when it's new to me."

"How do people find out on accident?" James said.

"Uh… remember Scorpius, James?"

"Oh, yeah, of course I remember Scorpius," James said. "Why?"

"Well he's gay too… believe it or not," Albus said, clearing his throat and itching to run his hand through his hair. "Small world, huh?"

"I take it that you're somehow romantically involved?" James said.

"Yeah," Albus said. "Well let's just say it's hard to keep things a secret when you kiss someone in a hallway."

"Uh oh," James said. "And how are people there reacting to it?"

"Oh you know," Albus said. "There are a lot of prats. But there are a lot of good people."

"Don't let them mess with you, Al," he said. "Seriously, they don't know how good a duelist you are until you string them up by their earlobes. Or hex their nose off or something."

"I know…" Albus said. "I know what you mean, James. Scorp wants to be an auror. He's pretty good at that sort of thing too. We're just not sure what we're up against yet."

"Well don't hesitate to call me if you need a hand warding them off," he said. "I know a few nasty spells myself."

"All right," Albus said, smiling. "I'm glad you're okay with this."

"Why would I not be okay with it?" James asked.

"Because we're brothers… mates," Albus said.

James laughed. "That's exactly why I'm _okay _with it. I mean, I wouldn't think twice about it if it was anyone else. It doesn't matter to me who people love… but, on top of that, Albus, you're my brother. Gay or not, you're my brother. You're not any different than you were before."

Albus grinned. "Thanks, James."

"Anytime, Al," James said. "I have to get back to work—you caught me on my lunch break. Send me a letter will you, once in a while? I miss Hogwarts. I need to keep up on all the childish gossip."

"All right," Albus said. "Bye, James."

He pulled his head out of the fire and coughed once, leaning away from the now very hot flames. He brushed soot off his shoulders as he stood up, and he turned to head back to the castle for Transfiguration.

"Hey," Scorpius greeted him in the entrance hall, where he was waiting for him after lunch.

"Hey," Albus said, smiling.

"How did it go?"

"It went really well," Albus said.

"You Potter boys have all the luck," Scorpius said morosely.

"Ha. Sure," Albus said. "I'm sure your parents have come around, Scorpius. Your father, I mean. You ought to send them a letter."

"I don't know," Scorpius said. "Break ended on a pretty rough note for both of us. I wouldn't know what to say in a letter if I sent one."

"How about this… if you sent it just to him, _Dear Dad, How are you? I'm doing pretty well. I like school, you know that. I'm studying hard, and training hard for Quidditch and being as bloody exemplary as I usually am. Love Scorpius."_

_"_That'd go over well," Scorpius grumbled.

"I know, I know," Albus said. "But you get my point. Just keep on going as if life wasn't any different. He'll realize he's lucky to have you for a son. No matter what."

"I don't want it to be a no matter what situation," Scorpius said. "He shouldn't care… He shouldn't care even if I was a prostituting, muggle drug doing, t-student. I'm still his son."

"I think that's comparing apples to oranges," Albus declared.

"How so?"

"Those are all really shitty things to do. This… this is who you are. And you can't change it, and at this point, it seems to me you don't even want to. I think he just has to get used to the idea. I don't think it's an _in spite of _situation. He's just shocked."

"And then I blew up at him and we didn't speak for the rest of the holiday," Scorpius said.

"So apologize," Albus said. "I don't know, Scorp."

"I know," Scorpius said. "I'm sorry for putting you on the spot. You don't know the answers anymore than I do."

"No, you're supposed to ask me about this stuff," Albus said. "It's fine. I'm trying to help, but I'm being awful at it."

"No you're not," Scorpius said, squeezing his hand in reassurance. "You're doing a fine job. The best I could ask for. Some things just don't have easy answers."

"It's hard to accept that," Albus said, shaking his head. "All the same though, I think you should send him a letter. Maybe he's lightened up, given some time to think about it."

"Or worse," Scorpius said. "He's heard about you and me through the chain of gossip and has officially disowned me for besmirching the Malfoy name."

"Since when are you the pessimist?" Albus demanded. "I seriously thought that was my job."

"Yeah, well I'm sick of you being the pessimist," Scorpius said. "It depresses me. It makes me the pessimist."

"Vicious cycle," Albus said, grinning at him. "Let's neither of us be pessimistic, how about?"

"Sounds like a plan," Scorpius said.

"We should probably go to Transfiguration," Albus said sadly, as the first few people trickled out of lunch.

"Come on," Scorpius said. "It's not that bad."  
>Albus looked around. People were starting to flood out of the Great Hall, now, and they were going to get caught in the current and dragged to class if they didn't move. Albus grabbed Scorpius by the hand and pulled him off into a side chamber, closing the door behind them.<p>

Scorpius raised an eyebrow. "We're going to be late."

"Ask me if I care," Albus said, stretching up ever so slightly to kiss Scorpius. Scorpius put his arms around him, bending a little so that Albus didn't have to stand on his tiptoes.

"I don't care either," Scorpius said, touching Albus' cheek, breathing in his soft scent, smiling.

"Good," Albus said. "So you're not caring… and I'm not caring… And we're skipping class."

Scorpius just kissed him. They would probably go to class, but for that moment, it was nice to think that they had forever and ever in front of them.


	49. The Great Chopstick Question

**Chapter 49.**

**The Great Chopstick Question**

"Hey, hey, Potter, Malfoy," some Ravenclaw said to them at breakfast.

"Yeah?" Scorpius said. He was talking to Albus, needing to go back to his own table to finish breakfast. Albus turned around too.

"Look… this might come off as rude… but the whole world is confused. Which one of you is the… feminine side of the relationship?"  
>"You're right," Albus said. "That is rude."<p>

He turned around and Scorpius rolled his eyes. He grabbed a knife and a spoon from the table and Transfigured them quickly into a pair of chopsticks. He then turned back around. Reaching over, he tapped the Ravenclaw on the shoulder. The kid turned back to look at him again.

"Which one is the fork?" Scorpius wondered.

The Ravenclaw blushed.

"Because that's basically what you're asking," Scorpius said. "Asking which one of us is the _woman _is like asking which one is the fork in a pair of chopsticks. There isn't one."

Albus started laughing, even though he hadn't turned around, and even Rose was giggling a little on his other side.

Scorpius faced the table again, and Albus patted him on the back. "Good answer."

"People are so rude," Scorpius complained, shaking his head.

"Yes, they are," Albus said.

"I suppose I ought to go and eat breakfast," Scorpius said.

"Probably," Albus agreed, laughing a little. Scorpius swung his leg over the bench and walked back over to the Slytherin table, plopping next to Scarlet again.

"You might as well just eat over there," she said.

"No," he said. "I'm still a Slytherin."

Scarlet laughed. "You spent half of breakfast over there."

"I know," Scorpius said, laughing a little too.

"And I know that you didn't come back to the dormitory last night," she said. "Did you sleep in the Gryffindor tower?"

"No," he said. "Are you kidding me, Scarlet? Owen's in the seventh year boys' dormitory. That would be suicidal."

"Then where do you go?" Scarlet wondered.

"We both go to the Room of Requirement," Scorpius said. "It's really quite accommodating. It gives us clothes if we forget to grab some, and it's right down the hall from the head boy's shower, which I gave Albus the password to."

"Or you just bring him in with you," she teased.

"No," he said. "I don't. We're not like that, Scarlet."

Nick dropped into the seat next to her, on the other side. "Thanks for waking me up."

"You didn't tell me to," she said.

"I've missed half of breakfast," he complained, reaching for some eggs and loading them onto his plate.

"Stop your whining," she said. "You should be in a really good mood."

"I am," he said. "Don't get me wrong."

"Why…?" Scorpius wondered, but he regretted asking instantly, as soon as Scarlet replied.

"Really good sex," she informed him, stuffing a sausage link into her mouth.

Nick laughed loudly and Scorpius groaned.

"I never asked. Never mind," Scorpius said. "For future reference, if I ever ask a question, to which the answer is 'really good sex' or anything remotely related to your sex life, Scarlet, I beg of you, please lie to me."

"You're just jealous," she said.

"I'm not, quite," Scorpius said. "See, I go about things in a more traditional way. Unlike you, I think it's best to fall in love with someone _before _having sex with them. As opposed to have sex before even liking them."

"Did you seriously not like me before we started shagging?" Nick demanded.

"No, I liked you," Scarlet said. "I wasn't expecting to love you, but I liked you."

"Oh," he said. "That's okay then. That's sort of how I felt about it. I thought you were really hot."

"Good. We were on the same page," she said. "I thought you were hot, you thought I was hot. And now we love each other. Works for me."

Nick laughed, and Scorpius shook his head. "You two should be ashamed of yourselves."

"We're never going to be young again, Scorpius," Scarlet informed him.

"But you're also never going to be a virgin again," Scorpius informed her.

Scarlet nearly spat out her eggs laughing. "Oh Scorpius. It's been so long since that ship sailed, I forgot what it was like…"

"It's not that great," Scorpius reminded her.

"Wait… you're…" Nick looked at him in shock.

"A virgin. It's because I'm gay," Scorpius said. "It's a little difficult to find anyone willing to admit they'd like to shag you. At least in Hogwarts."

"Oh right…" Nick said, blushing.

"Someone over there asked me who was the feminine one in Albus' and my relationship," he said.

"Seriously?" Scarlet said, snorting. "Imbeciles."

"I asked him which one was the fork in a pair of chopsticks," Scorpius said, laughing a little.

"Good job," Scarlet said. "Way to stand up for yourself, Scorp."

"I've never been bad at standing up for myself," Scorpius said. "I usually just choose not too…"

"Yeah…" Scarlet said. "Which makes you look weak."

"Hogwarts isn't going to see weak Scorpius anymore," he declared. "I'm not putting up with this shit. People are allowed to not be okay with this sort of thing, but they're not allowed to be ignorant pricks."

"I agree," Scarlet said. "They can believe what they will, but it is horrible to be cruel to someone because of who they are."  
>"Even then…" Nick said. "It's intolerance. It's like racism."<p>

"Only I'm not part of any unique race," Scorpius said.

"Yeah, but you know what I mean," Nick said.

"I do," Scorpius said.

-CD-

"Why… is it… that we always end up… kissing in the library?" Albus questioned.

"Because it's quiet, and private, and it's just you and me," Scorpius said, pulling away from him. "And when you're working, you always get a really cute look on your face."

Albus laughed. "Cute?"

"That was sort of the wrong word," Scorpius said. "Calling you cute almost doesn't seem right…"

Albus laughed, a low, hoarse laugh. "Just shut up."

"Okay," Scorpius said, pressing his lips against him again. For once he had allowed Albus to shove him up against the wall—something completely different than usual, but Albus found it just as attractive.

As soon as Scorpius started kissing his neck, and Albus felt his teeth and tongue on his skin, he also felt all of the blood in his body begin to rush south. Not only did it all flood out of his head, making him very dizzy, but it also settled right in his cock.

But he was ignoring it. They both were now. It was something that happened, and they were over it. Originally, for both of them, it had been new and embarrassing. It was drawing attention to something that both of them were interested in, but didn't want to focus on. It was too soon to focus on it.

He leaned forward, kissing along Scorpius' jaw line. But he leaned too far forward, pressing the front of his pants against Scorpius. Scorpius moaned.

"Albus… we're in the library," he said, but his protests were very weak.

"I know, I know," Albus said, pulling away quickly. "I'm sorry… I don't want to stop… but we're in the library, and I need to control myself."

Scorpius laughed a little, reaching out and touching his cheek. "It's okay, Albus."

Albus settled at the desk they had abandoned, laden with Herbology homework.

"What plant… makes… purple eggs?" Albus said, breathlessly flipping through the book in front of him.

"Uh…" Scorpius said. "You're good at Herbology. I'm not."

"Scorpius, you being bad at Herbology, is like… well it's not possible for you to be bad at anything."

"It actually is," Scorpius said. "I didn't even know there was a plant that made purple eggs until we started this essay."

"Did you listen in class?" Albus said.

"Yes…" Scorpius said. "For the most part. And then I was looking at you, and it was distracting."

"Don't put this on me," Albus said. "It's not my fault you can't resist my debonair good looks."

Scorpius laughed. "Well it's true. You do have debonair good looks."

Albus laughed too and Scorpius sat back down at the table with him, taking his hand.

"How has the week been for you?" Scorpius wondered. "Any cruel people?"

"No," Albus said. "You've been with me the whole time, Scorp. They would never take on the two of us. Not alone. I've just heard whispers. All around, whispers. Some of them are still not sure, you can tell. We don't hold hands in front of them, and we don't do anything that would lead them to believe that we're a couple, except for walking everywhere with each other… standing really close to each other… eating meals together sometimes, disappearing together… The Hogwarts populous is surprisingly oblivious."

"Most of them get it though," Scorpius said. "Take chopsticks boy."

"I know," Albus said. "Most of them are swift enough on the uptake… but some of them aren't sure how they feel about it, either."

"We surprised all of them," Scorpius said. "No one was expecting it. You know that."

Albus nodded. "I don't really know what to do about it. What will be will be, don't you think?"

"I don't think we've heard the end of any of it," Scorpius said. "They're rallying."

"So, do me a favor," Albus said.

"What?" Scorpius asked.

"Don't walk places alone," Albus said. "I know… I know you can take care of yourself, but you never know how many of them there are…"

"I won't," Scorpius said. "Not if you don't either."

"How about we just walk everywhere together?" Albus suggested.

"Okay," Scorpius said, laughing a little. He squeezed Albus' hand.

"I think I can handle that," Albus said, smiling at him.

"We should finish these essays," Scorpius said.

"I know," Albus said. "We probably should."

"They are due tomorrow, after all," Scorpius said.

"But I really would rather kiss you instead," Albus complained.

"Essays," Scorpius said. "Then we'll go to the Room of Requirement."

"Ugh. Fine," Albus grumbled, dipping his quill in ink. "Good thing this is all we have to do."

"Quidditch practice on Saturday," Scorpius said cheerfully, changing the subject though they were supposed to be working. "My team first, I think."

"Your what?" Albus said. "I wasn't aware you were living up to the definition of the word 'team.'"

"You can't make fun of me forever, Potter," Scorpius said. "Your little digs at my team will run dry eventually—they're barely a trickle now."

Albus laughed. "Next match is in a month and a half," he said. "I've missed it."

"So have I," Scorpius said.

"Did I tell you about our new Beater?" Albus wondered.

"About a hundred times," Scorpius said.

Albus was proud of his new Beater. A third-year who had lived in America for the first nine years of his life, and moved to England just in time to be accepted to Hogwarts. He was of English blood, but his voice had been mingled with a lot of American. Sometimes it was hard to tell which he _really _was. He, however, had been in the infirmary for the weekend of tryouts. Had he been there, Albus knew Owen would have never even been considered for the team.

His name was Striker, which Albus thought was odd until he remembered his own name was Albus Severus. If anything, _Striker_ turned out to be a pretty decent name. Striker rivaled Fred as a Beater—and yeah, Fred took it poorly, originally, all the praise Albus gave to the younger kid. Albus made a note to come back to Hogwarts and watch out for Striker in the Gryffindor games. He was destined to not only captain the team, but to play professionally too.

"Yeah, well I'm just saying. You better watch out for him," Albus said. "I encourage taking aim at the Seeker."


	50. On the Quidditch Pitch

_**A/N: My estimation is that this will be roughly 65-70 Chapters. **_

**Chapter 50.**

**On the Quidditch Pitch**

Scorpius scanned the stands for any sign of Albus. He was known to be a sneaking spy just as much as the Slytherins were, and Scorpius was not taking any chances. The fact that Albus had an invisibility cloak did not assuage his fears any.

"Come on," he said to his team. "Let's go play."

He led them to the center of the pitch, which had all of the snow melted off it, revealing clean, green pitch grass. He stopped at the middle, holding his broom at his side. His team formed a bit of a U-shape to face him and they all waited expectantly.

"Okay, before we start, I just want to say something, really quick," Scorpius said. "I know we've had some of our differences of late—" Absolutely every head on the pitch turned toward Kirk, then back to Scorpius said. "But I really think, that if we work hard, in the same way as usual, we don't have to love each other to be successful."

"Here, here!" Scarlet said and Nick nodded his agreement.

"All right?" Scorpius said. "So… let's start out with some simple passes around to each other, okay? We need to make sure our reflexes are up to snuff. Let's get in the air now, I think it's about time."

They all kicked off from the ground and Scorpius tucked the Quaffle under his arm to follow them. Kirk had a fuming expression on his face, like he was deep in thought about something that made him beyond furious. Scorpius had an idea about what it was. He continually heaved the Quaffle with unnecessary force, and his aim was slightly off, which meant that the rest of the team had to lunge for it. He could see them all starting to get a little annoyed, narrowing their eyes at him, and trying to keep the Quaffle from getting to Kirk's possession. Once, when he nearly sent Nick to the ground to catch his pass, Scorpius halted the drill.

"Hey, Kirk, what's up?" he said, keeping his tone kind. He was going to be the bigger person until he was physically dragged to the lower level.

"What do you mean?" Kirk demanded as Nick rejoined the group, grumbling to Scarlet.

"I mean that you seem a little off your game today," Scorpius said.

"I'm fine," Kirk said, glaring at Scorpius as if he had been pointedly insulted.

"No," Scorpius said. "You're impeding the progress of the drill. If you're off your game, you can go back to the castle and no one will complain."

"I'm doing fine," Kirk said. "Stop it, Malfoy."

"You know, Kirk I was your friend once," Scorpius said. "We were on a first name basis."

"I don't want to be friends with you," Kirk said.

"Well… that's sort of depressing," Scorpius said. "I'm the same bloke I've always been. But that being said, I know you don't like me, fine. We'll deal with it. But like it or not, I am still the captain of this team. Which means that, like it or not, you have to listen to me a little. So stop messing around and let's practice."

"I'm not messing around!" Kirk said.

"Yes you are!" Scorpius said. "You're not taking this seriously because I'm the captain, and for the good of the team, you need to take it seriously."

The rest of the team was hovering awkwardly in midair.

"I know you have a problem with me," Scorpius said. "That much is clear. I didn't kick you off the team at the first sign of intolerance, because everyone is entitled to their own opinion, and you hadn't done anything that warranted getting kicked off the team. But now, you're impairing progress. You're a really good Chaser, Kirk. I'd like for you to stay on the team, no matter our differences. But I'm not going to deal with a lack of cooperation. You can make the choice for yourself. Get over your feelings against me and play like we were friends, or leave, get off the team. Make your decision."

Kirk debated for a moment, looking between Scorpius, the rest of the team, the Quaffle in Nick's hand and the castle. The rest of the team waited.

"Mate…" Nick said. "Come on. It's Quidditch."

"Let's just play," Kirk said, sighing.

"We're going to change it up now," Scorpius said. "We're going to start with a review from the plays we learned last time. Colt, if you want to go to the goal posts, let's start, Kirk, Jackie, Tessa. I'm going to go release the bludgers, Nick, Scarlet. I don't want you letting them get away. You each get a Bludger and I want you to keep on it. I'm going to release the snitch and keep an eye on all of you at the same time."

He landed back on the grass, letting out the last few balls. He would let the snitch flutter around for a while and watch the team practice.

He didn't want to disrupt anything. Kirk, Tessa and Jackie all worked so well together, and he didn't want to ruin it. He knew he had made good choices when he filled the roster of his team. And he knew that, deep down, Kirk was a good person, who just didn't get it.

-CD-

Albus led his team out onto the pitch, looking up at the clear blue day. The Slytherins had all cleared the pitch, and the weather was wonderful.

"Are we ready?" Albus said. "I think we're going to have a good practice. It's a great day, we have a fantastic team." He turned to grin at them. "You know how much I want that Quidditch Cup, don't you?"

The rest of the team grinned.

"Come on," Albus said. "Let's not waste time. Let's play Quidditch. Get up in the air, do a couple of laps as a team. Rotate formations. You know the drill. I'm going to get ready to teach you all a new play I've come up with. I think it will really help us in our next match."

He watched them go up in the sky and grinned as they shot in loops around the pitch. He kicked off the ground and shot up into the air. Instantly, he phased in with the group, leading the pack, and then breaking away to follow from behind, or streak along above them. They flew effortlessly together, Striker fitting the mold of the Gryffindor team very well. Albus was pleased. He was absolutely elated.

"All right, all right," he said, giving one quick blast to his whistle after a while. "That was good. That was really good."

"Albus, we were flying in a circle," Lily said.

"I know, but it was _good _flying in a circle," Albus said. The team laughed.

"So what's the new play?" Striker asked eagerly.

"Okay," Albus said. "It's been the trend that the beaters on the other team target Lily first, before the others. She's our leading scorer, so it makes sense. Your job, for this play is to protect Lily, primarily, and the other chasers. Fred, you're, the defensive, as always, aiming for their Chasers,mostly, if you can. So Lily, you're going to lead the charge but then drop out from underneath, which will surprise them… And then…"

He explained the play to them, ultimately demonstrating his Chasing skills in the process. He was almost as good a Chaser as he was a Seeker. Chasing and Seeking ran in the family.

"Are we ready to try it?" he asked. "Spread out randomly. I want to be able to call this, or have Lily call it, and have you be in any position on the field, ready to move into it. Rose, be the opposing Keeper, will you? Fred just be the back up for Striker, I'm trying to get him used to all of this… I'll watch from above, hopefully it will go the way I planned. When I blow my whistle… three… two… one!" he gave a sharp blast on his whistle, and the team shot off, working expertly together as if the move had been one they'd been practicing since September.

"Good," Albus said, when they almost successfully scored on Rose, who knocked the quaffle away from the far left hoop with just the tips of her fingers. 'That was really good… but imagine it'll be a lot harder when there are three opposing Chasers after the Quaffle in your hand… I think it'll work though. They'll be distracted and follow Lily—especially if Striker drops after her, like he did this time on instinct. They'll think she's the one that will end with the Quaffle… I literally want you to drop, Lils, plummet if you have to. They'll think you're trying to get away from them…"

"Albus?" Rose said.

"What?"

"There's someone in the stands…"

"Huh?" Albus turned to look where she was pointing. A black dot with a pale face huddled against the wind in the Slytherin section of the stands…

"Okay… who wants to bet it's a Slytherin spy? Let me handle this, I'll be right back. Run the play again, if you can."

He shot toward the stands were the person was watching. As he drew in closer, he realized that it wasn't a Slytherin—it wasn't a Hogwarts student at all. The person was a good ten years older than the average Hogwarts student. It was a man, about twenty-seven, maybe, with dark hair, bundled in a black and white striped scarf.

"Um… hi?" Albus said, stopping in midair right next to him.

"Hi," the man said, as if it was every day he watched the Gryffindor practice.

"Sorry… it's just… my team was distracted and they wanted to know who you are…" Albus said. "It's hard to get them to work when they're distracted."

"They look like they're doing just fine," the man said. "You just want to see who's snooping on your practice." He grinned a toothy grin at Albus. "That being said, may I introduce myself. I'm Theo LaMotte."

"Uh… Albus Potter," Albus said.

"I know," Theo said, standing and offering his hand. "I was speaking to Professor Longbottom about you. I'm the head recruiter for the Montrose Magpies."

Albus stared for a moment. "You're who? Wait… that's a dumb question… it's just… Merlin."

He maneuvered his broom so he could stand on the same level as the recruiter and catch his breath. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, I'm here to watch your team practice. More importantly, I'm here to watch you practice. The scouts that have come to Hogwarts from the British and Irish League in the past seven years have been very interested in you, Albus. Most have called you the most promising young Seeker out there."

"Really?" Albus said.

"I can see it, just by watching your practice, that you have superb Quidditch instinct," Theo said. "You know what's going on out there. I haven't seen you Seek yet, but… I'm sure it will be fantastic. For now though, just know, that the Magpies are extremely interested in you."

"I can't believe it…" Albus said. "This is going to sound like I'm kissing arse, but… the Magpies are my favorite team."

"Even better," Theo said. "I know it's going to be hard for you to go on with your practice now, as if I wasn't here, but do your best. I'm just going to silently observe and try not to freeze."

"Okay…" Albus said. He shook his head and climbed onto his broom again, heading back toward his team.

"Who is it?" Rose demanded.

"No one," he said, giving her a pointed look saying he would tell her later.

"Okay…" she said.

"Just an observer," Albus said. "Let's try the play once more shall we? And then we'll go through another one I have."

The team agreed and ran through the play again, with Albus shooting fervent, frequent glances at Theo LaMotte.

About twenty minutes later, a glance over at the stands showed that another person had joined the recruiter in the stands. Albus surreptitiously moved closer and closer… until he realized who it was. And his heart plummeted, spiraling out of the air and landed with a splat on the ground.


	51. Gay, Straight, Black, White or Purple

_**Warning: Fluff alert. Obscene amounts of fluff. :P**_

**Chapter 51.**

**Gay, Straight, Black, White or Purple**

"What are you doing here, Owen?" Albus demanded, trying to keep his cool in front of Theo.

"Nothing, Potter. Just observing practice," Owen said casually. Theo had a bit of a frown on his face, and was looking away from the both of them.

"Well I'm afraid you have to leave," Albus said. "We don't let people observe our practices. Unless they have express permission from Professor Longbottom." He made that up on the spot. Usually, all Gryffindors were allowed to watch the Gryffindor practice.

"Since when?" Owen said, calling him out on it.

"Since you left the team," Albus said.

"I didn't leave the team! You kicked me off!" Owen said.

"You missed practice for an unviable reason," Albus, keeping remarkably calm. "Please, leave, Owen."

Owen stood up with a huff and stumped away from Theo and Albus.

"That's… our ex-Beater," Albus said. "He was our Beater until he skipped practice for a really horrible reason, and we got into a bit of a spat about it, and I, with permission from Professor Longbottom kicked him off the team."

"Ah…" Theo said, smiling a little. "A little bitter then, is he?"

"Yes," Albus said. "A little bit."

"I asked him about you," Theo said. "I probably wouldn't have if I knew you two didn't get along."

"What did he say?" Albus said.

"Nothing that really matters in the grand scheme of things," Theo said.

"Do you mind if I ask?" Albus said.

Theo cleared his throat. "I suppose not…" It was his turn to look awkward. "He thought it was very important that I know that you are gay. Whether it's true or not I don't—"

"It is," Albus said. "You'll find out about it eventually, I suppose. I knew that's what he would be telling you."

"Like I said," Theo said. "It doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things."

"I'd like to believe that," Albus said.

"Now hang on," Theo said, getting a very serious look on his face. "Look… can I speak with you afterward, Albus? You should get as much out of your practice time as you can. And I'd like to keep watching, if that's all right."

"Yeah… sure," Albus said. "We'll talk afterward."

-CD-

After practice, Albus showered quickly and was the first one out of the locker rooms. Scorpius caught him by his elbow as soon as he was out the door.

"Hey," Scorp said, pulling him over to the side.

"Hey," Albus said, glancing around for any sign of Theo over the shoulders of his boyfriend.

"Do you want to stay outside? Go for a walk?" Scorpius said, taking Albus' hand and then putting a hand on Albus' cheek too.

"I can't right now," Albus said. "There's a scout here, Scorpius."

"Oh!" Scorpius said, dropping his hands. "Oh Merlin. Where is he?"  
>"I need to go find him, he wants to talk. He was watching our practice, and I was completely shocked to see him there…"<p>

Scorpius nodded. "Well what are you still doing here? Go talk to him!"

Albus laughed. "I'll find you right after. Don't make it hard to find you."

"Just get out your map," Scorpius said, laughing.

Albus walked around toward the entrance to the stands, where Theo was waiting for him, hands in the pockets of his thick cloak.

"There you are," he said. "The Seeker extraordinaire."

Albus laughed a little. "I don't know who you've been talking to."

"The entire staff at Hogwarts. Even the Head of Slytherin house, Professor Higgs, speaks very highly of your Seeking abilities. I asked him if he had any major talents on his team… He said he has one fantastic Beater, who is absolutely disinterested in being a Quidditch player…"

"They have a pretty good Seeker too," Albus said.

"I heard he pales in comparison to you," Theo said. "I can see that though. There are Seekers in the professional league that pale in comparison to you. I was watching you last year when we were scouting the Hufflepuff Keeper… You're absolutely phenomenal."

"Well… thanks, I guess…" Albus said.

"But about what that boy said to me," Theo said. "I would like to make sure you know that the Magpies do not appreciate prejudice, and whether you are gay, straight, black, white, purple, whatever, it doesn't matter. We care about whether people are good at Quidditch and decent individuals. The way your team looks up to you, and the way you play Quidditch—the way you talk to me, and the way you handled that situation earlier—all of these tell me that you're both a very, _very _good Quidditch player- as well as a very good leader, and a good person."

"Oh…" Albus said.

"And you're modest," Theo said. "It's always bad when Seekers aren't modest. A lot of them have Napoleonic complexes."

"I'm not short enough to have a Napoleonic complex," Albus said.

"That is true," Theo said. "So what do you say… if the Magpies were interested in signing you, would you consider it?"

"Of course!" Albus said, without even having to think twice about it.

"I mean… of course I'll have to come back and see your next game, and perhaps pop in on a few more practices… but I just wanted to say that we're very interested in having you on our team. I'm the head recruiter, I told you that. But if the head recruiter has come to your _practice _because the team is that interested in you, I must say it says something about your caliber."

Albus grinned. "Thanks. I can't even believe it."

"You can't tell me that you didn't expect some offers," Theo said.

"Well…" Albus said. "I guess one can never be sure, don't you think?"

"I suppose not," Theo said. "I'll give you my card…" He pulled out his wand and tapped it against his hand. A white card, with black print and the Magpies' emblem on the back appeared and he passed it to Albus.

"Thanks…" Albus said, looking at the card in awe.

"Have you had any other offers?" Theo wondered.

"No," Albus said.

"Well… I know it might feel like it's getting later and later, but I have no doubt that they will come. The League knows a good player when they see one. And they know you. I have friends who work for Kenmare and Ballycastle, and both are quite interested in you as well. So if a competition starts, make sure you keep in the loop. We're willing to fight for you, Albus Potter. Just remember it was Montrose that came to you first."

-CD-

"Hey," Scorpius said, taking his hand.

"Hey," Albus said.

Scorpius looked around, pulling him behind one of the of the pillars and pressing him against it, kissing him furiously.

"It's nice to see you too," Albus said, laughing a little. They were in the courtyard, which was vacant, as most of the school was at lunch.

"I'm so proud of you," Scorpius said, smiling at him. "I thought I would share."

"What…?"

"Scouts, Al," Scorpius said. "_Scouts."_

"Scout. Singular," Albus said. "But yeah. I know, I know."

Scorpius put a hand on his cheek. "That's amazing, Albus."

Albus laughed. "Yeah, I guess it is."

Scorpius leaned in to kiss him again.

"I love you," Albus said as Scorpius started kissing on his face.

They both froze.

"I'm… uh… I probably shouldn't have said that," Albus said.

"Why not?" Scorpius wondered.

"Because this relationship hasn't been… long enough…" Albus said, blush flooding into his cheeks.

Scorpius smiled at him taking his hands. "I love you too. Maybe it is too early to say that. Way too early. But I mean it. What's time got to do with it?"

Albus sighed. "Nothing."

"Come on," Scorpius said. "Let's go for that walk. It's a wonderful day."

"Okay," Albus said, taking his hand.

"So where was he from?" Scorpius asked.

"Montrose," Albus said. "The Montrose Magpies."

"Really?" Scorpius said as they reached the well-trodden path the students took around the grounds through the snow.

"Yep…" Albus said. "I can't believe it."

"Montrose…" Scorpius said. "That's spectacular. They must think you're really good… Albus that could be amazing for you… They're your favorite team, but they're the best in their league. Especially this year."

"I know," Albus said, shaking his head. "I'm in awe…"

"I would be too," Scorpius said. "Albus, it's all you ever really wanted, isn't it?"

"It's more," Albus said. "I never expected the Magpies… But do you know what? He said to me that I would probably get many other offers, but to remember that the Magpies came to me first. That sounds pretty promising, doesn't it?"

"It does," Scorpius said, smiling at him. "That's amazing, Albus. It's absolutely amazing."

"I'm so happy lately, Scorp," Albus said. "It's like… letting myself feel what I actually need to feel has lifted a thousand pounds off of me. I can breathe and be happy and everything is working out for me. No matter what the prats in the school do."

Scorpius grinned. "That's the goal isn't it?"

"Yeah…" Albus said. "Owen showed up to practice today."

"Why?" Scorpius said. "Is he daft?"

"He knew that the recruiter, Theo LaMotte—have you heard of him?- was going to be there," Albus said. "He thought he would share with him the fact that I'm gay…"

"He did?" Scorpius said, anger flashing across his face. "What did the recruiter say?"  
>"Well after I cordially kicked Owen off the pitch—and when I say cordially, I actually mean <em>cordially. <em>But then… Theo told me to get back to practice and said that we would talk afterward…"

"And?" Scorpius prompted.

"I'm fairly certain he told me that it doesn't matter if I'm gay, straight, black, white or _purple, _and that the Magpies base their decisions on talent and character," Albus said.

"And you've got a lot of both of those," Scorpius said.

Albus couldn't help but keep grinning to himself, swinging their hands in between them.

"You look so happy," Scorpius said, smiling brightly. Scorpius put his arm around Albus and pulled him against his side.

"I am happy," Albus said. "I have the best Quidditch team in the league interested in _me. _Their Seeker is close to retirement. You're here. I'm happy."

"I'm happy too," Scorpius said. "And I'm glad you're not purple."

"That makes two of us," Albus said. "It would clash with my eyes, thus eliminating the power of my piercing stare…"

"Right…" Scorpius said. "We'll go with that."

"Hey!"

"You know I'm kidding," Scorpius said.

"You better hope I do," Albus said.

"Or what?" Scorpius said.

"I might just do this," Albus said, putting his shoulder to Scorpius' chest, and knocking him sideways into the snow. Scorpius laughed, pulling Albus down with him. It was cold down there, but only for a moment, because as soon as Albus was at the same level, Scorpius started to snog him again, pulling him closer by the front of his robes.

"You're so… incredibly handsome…" Albus said, looking up at Scorpius, locking with his silver eyes.

Scorpius laughed. His hair was wet from the snow, falling in clumped points across his forehead.

"Thanks, Albus," he said, touching Albus' cheek. "But so are you."

Albus closed his eyes under the touch and wriggled closer to Scorpius. Scorpius wrapped his arms around Albus, and Albus did the same, starting to kiss along Scorpius' jaw, across his cheeks and behind his ears.

Scorpius shuddered, pushing himself closer, straining for more contact. Albus kept kissing him, letting him move as close as he wanted. He was okay with it. He was okay with anything. He loved Scorpius. He didn't know when that had happened. Maybe it was all of a sudden, or maybe it was an always thing. But he loved him.


	52. Some Things Aren't Easily Mended

**Chapter 52.**

**Some Things Aren't Easily Mended**

Scorpius buried his head in the books, reading. He dipped his quill into the ink pot next to his hand and started to scribble on the parchment next to his book. He was into it now, never so enthused. Some things were just incredibly interesting.

Across from him, Albus sucked on the end of a Sugar Quill, working on a separate essay. He had already written the Defense essay Scorpius was now engrossed in. Part of Scorpius' influence to work as hard as he was, was the fact that Albus had written an essay twice the anticipated and required length of the professor. Scorpius had a sense of competition. He needed his to be just as long, and just as perfect. Because he was completely certain it was perfect, well written, and completely accurate. It made Scorpius wonder if there were people out there crying about the fact that Albus, who would protest his intelligence until the day he died, was not going to be an auror, but a Quidditch player.

"I'll be right back," Scorpius said. "I have to go and get another book."  
>He stood and left Albus contemplating his Charms essay with limited interest.<p>

Scorpius headed a few shelves over, looking for a reference to give a little background on one of the wizards he mentioned in his essay. His History of Magic education had been limited at best—it involved a lot of hangman with Scarlet. He knew where to find the name though, because he remembered reading it once, a long time ago.

"Dephelius… Deph… elius… us," Scorpius said, thumbing through the stacks, looking for the book written by the man he needed background on.

"What the _fuck?" _he heard Albus shout. Scorpius stiffened. He abandoned his search instantly, rushing back out of the stacks, back toward the table where he had left Albus working on the essay.

"Al…?" he said, turning around the corner. Albus sat at their table, hands covering his face. "Albus!"

"Scorp…" Albus said, pulling his hand away from his face. The palm was coated with bright red… blood? Scorpius' heart skyrocketed and he rushed to kneel by Albus' chair.

"Albus, what's wrong?" he demanded, pulling the other hand down too. Both were covered with a smear of blood.

"It's just a hex," Albus said, lifting his head. Scorpius looked up at him, but found it impossible to keep himself from gasping. The word _FAG _was cut into Albus' face—literally cut. Thin gashes crossed his features, so that the word was perfectly readable, but spanned the entire surface of his face.

"Just a hex? Albus, you're bleeding," Scorpius said. He conjured a cloth out of thin air and dabbed at the cuts carefully, wiping away the blood. "Who did this?"

"I didn't see them," Albus said. "They were on the other side of the stacks. Don't freak out, Scorp. It doesn't hurt."

He winced as Scorpius dabbed at the top stroke of the F.

"Doesn't hurt, huh?" Scorpius said, fury causing his cheeks to flood with angry blush. "I'm going to go see if the person is still here. I would like to give them a piece of my mind."

"Scorp…" Albus said.

"Al…" Scorpius replied, standing and looking at his face. The cuts made him cringe. He didn't want to see Albus in any sort of pain—as much as Albus would deny there was any pain. He walked away for a moment, looking behind the bookshelves. There was no one there. It was an empty space. Scorpius could see the right angle to get the hex at Albus, who was just visible through one of the shelves.

Scorpius walked back around.

"No one was there," he informed Albus, sitting down and reaching for the cloth he had before. "I'll take you to the infirmary."

"No…" Albus said. "Can't you just fix it?"

"Albus, we should tell someone," Scorpius said.

"I don't want to walk down the hall…" Albus grumbled, looking down as if he was ashamed.

"Oh…" Scorpius said. "I understand." He squeezed Albus' hand, getting out his wand. He clenched his teeth. "I'm not sure I can do this correctly, Albus…"

"I trust you," Albus said.

"You shouldn't," Scorpius said. "I'm not skilled enough at this. I could hurt you more."

Albus sighed, taking both of Scorpius' hands. "It's okay. You don't need to do it. We'll go to see Madam Tolomei."

Scorpius nodded. "I can't believe someone did this."

"It's fine," Albus said. "It really doesn't hurt anymore. It hurt at first, but it's going away."

"Stop…" Scorpius said. "If it hurts, tell me, Albus. You don't need to be brave about it."

"Gryffindor remember?" Albus said. "I'm not being brave. I'm just telling you the truth."

Scorpius sighed. "All right… Let's pack up our stuff and go…"

"Okay," Albus said.

"It's okay, Albus," Scorpius said.

"I know," Albus said. "But maybe you should tell yourself. You look like you're going to hurl."

"I just can't believe someone had the audacity…" Scorpius grumbled.

"Yeah, they only had the audacity to hex me when I wasn't looking, not to my face. They were too afraid to do it to my face, which tells me they're weak," Albus said, shoving his books into his bag. "If I wonder why there is blood on my Herbology book, remind me."

Albus ducked his head as they walked the short distance from the library to the Hospital Wing. He managed, Scorpius thought, to hide the slices on his face pretty well by not looking at anyone. The hallways were fairly vacant; almost everyone was doing homework at this point.

"How can I help you two?" Madam Tolomei asked sweetly as they walked into the Hospital Wing.

"I'm afraid I got on the bad end of a hex," Albus said, raising his head to show her.

"Oh dear, oh dear," she said shaking her head in distress. "Who did this, Mr. Potter?"

"I don't know," Albus said. "I didn't see."

"I would've mended it for him…" Scorpius said. "But I was a little too worried… and I don't know if there's something about the hex that will make it harder to fix…"

"No, you did the right thing coming to me," Madam Tolomei said. "I've had students coming in here looking worse after their friends have tried to patch them up. It's nothing I can't handle, usually, but it's better to make my job easier. Let's see Mr. Potter… You've cleaned it up a little bit…"

"Yeah…" Albus said.

"It appears to me that they should be easily mended," she said.

"Well that's good," Albus said.

She smiled at him. "Come on, have a seat up on the bed."

Scorpius hovered anxiously, watching as she prodded the gashes with her wand thoughtfully.

"It's fine," Albus assured him yet again.

"I know," Scorpius said. "I know, I know."

-CD-

"I told you it would be fine," Albus said, examining his face in the hand mirror. He looked up at Scorpius, his mouth pressed into an amused smirk.

"How was I supposed to know?" Scorpius said, crossing his arms.

"Because," Albus said. "We both know Owen and Kirk aren't talented enough to permanently disfigure anyone."

Scorpius cringed.

"Come on," Albus said. "Let's go finish our homework."

"I'm going to report this incident," Madam Tolomei said, taking the mirror back from Albus. "I have to. If anything like this happens again, you should go directly to a professor—both of you."

"We will," Scorpius promised her.

Albus nodded. "We will."

Albus stood up and followed Scorpius out of the infirmary, heading toward the Room of Requirement.

"I'm exhausted," Albus said. "I think I'll just go to sleep."

"Are you done with your work?" Scorpius asked. "I still have to finish that bloody essay."  
>"I'm done," Albus said. "But I'll stay up and keep you company then."<br>"You don't have to," Scorpius said.

"Nah, I will," Albus said.

"Did it hurt at all, when she fixed up those cuts?" Scorpius wondered.

"Not too much," Albus said.

"I could kill whoever did that," Scorpius said.

"No you couldn't," Albus said. "You're too good."

"I could though," Scorpius said. "They make me absolutely… livid. Who do they even think they are? I can't believe anyone would do something so horrible."

"It didn't even hurt," Albus said.

"You don't need to lie to me," Scorpius said, shaking his head.

"Okay," Albus said. "So it hurt. But it's not a big deal."

"Yes it is," Scorpius said. "It is a big deal. People are horrible."

"People aren't horrible," Albus said. "That's a nasty generalization. People in general aren't that bad. _Some _people are horrible."  
>"I suppose you're right," Scorpius said. "But the horrible people do a lot of horrible things, Al. I hate that someone did this to you. It's awful."<p>

"I'm fine," Albus said.

"I just worry about you," Scorpius said. "I worry a lot."

"You don't need to worry about me that much," Albus said.  
>"All the same, I will," Scorpius said.<p>

They were silent for the rest of their walk to the Room of Requirement. They thought the same as always, walking through the door once it appeared. Albus jumped up onto the singular bed, sprawling out like a starfish, half on top of his school bag and tangled in his robes.

"There's nothing to worry about," Albus informed Scorpius, who sat down at the graciously provided desk.

"I don't believe you," Scorpius said. "I can't, I guess. Not after some of the stuff I witnessed earlier in the year, Albus. That sort of thing doesn't just vanish, Albus. It doesn't vanish into thin air."

"It can," Albus said. "You never know, it might."  
>Scorpius shook his head, opening his book and getting out his quill and ink. "Well… maybe it does. But we can't be sure. So I'm just going to keep worrying about you until I feel I don't have to anymore."<p>

"I'm not going to persuade you otherwise, am I?" Albus said, rolling onto his side and propping himself up on his elbow to look at Scorpius.

"Probably not," Scorpius said. "I don't mean to hover or to be overly cautious, but… I care too much about you not to worry… I'm sorry. I know it's annoying, Albus. Especially if you feel over it… but I can't. I can't just not worry about you."

"I probably would worry about you too," Albus said. "If you were like me. I worry about you too, I guess. Just in different ways. For different reasons."

Scorpius nodded. "I don't want anyone to hurt you, Albus."

"No one can hurt me," Albus said. "Not if I don't let them."

"Maybe not emotionally, but they got you physically tonight. I should've stayed over there with you," Scorpius said.

"They would've done it either way," Albus said. "Maybe to you too. It's better that it's one of us. It could've been both."

"But it wasn't,' Scorpius said. "I think that's worse. I feel like I really should have been there."  
>"There was nothing you could've done," Albus said. "Besides. It honestly doesn't hurt that badly. It didn't."<p>

Scorpius just shook his head.

"Don't worry, Scorp," Albus beseeched once more.

Scorpius frowned and looked back at his work, dipping his quill methodically into the ink.

"Or just worry incessantly," Albus said, chuckling a little. "It's up to you."  
>"I love you, Albus," Scorpius said, smiling at him.<p>

"I love you too," Albus replied, flopping onto his back again.


	53. Check Mate

**Chapter 53.**

**Check Mate**

"Knight to E-seven," Albus ordered, leaning forward on his elbows to watch his chess pieces. His knight sliced through one of Scorpius' bishops, dragging the remains off the edge of the board, and then returning to his position.

"Oh charming," Scorpius grumbled. "Let's see…"

They sat in the Great Hall well after dinner, where students were gathered to hang out. They weren't the only chess game, but they were probably the most intense. Albus found that Scorpius, when playing chess with him, was more fond of expletives than at any other moment.

"I refuse to let you win again," Scorpius complained, ordering one of his remaining pawns up the board.

Albus grinned at the remains of Scorpius' queen at the edge of the board. "Have you ever beaten me, Scorp?"

"There's a first time for everything," Scorpius snapped as Albus countered again, progressing more in each move than Scorpius could even fathom. "I don't understand it."

"Why I beat you?" Albus said. "Time and time again? Because. Some people's brains are made for this sort of thing. Your brain is more bulky in every other sense. Let me have this intellectual strength, please."

After making another move, Scorpius laughed. "My brain is not bulky."  
>"It's smart," Albus said, contemplating the board a moment. He sent a rook moving. "Check."<p>

"Lovely…" Scorpius said.

Albus glanced down the tables as Scorpius glared at the chess board. A group of people were gathered at the far end of the table they were sitting at. Owen, Kirk, and several others from various houses were sitting with their heads close together, apparently deep in conversation. Albus swallowed. They made him nervous.

He looked back at the board, for his turn. He moved his queen several squares. "That was dumb. Check mate."

Scorpius stared at the board. "Oh bloody hell. How did I miss that? Merlin!"

"Sorry, sorry," Albus said, smiling and waving his wand to reset the pieces. "Come on, let's get out of here."

"Why?" Scorpius wondered.

"The group of prats down at the end of the table," Albus said. "They're bothering me."

"They would never try anything in front of the professors," Scorpius said.

"Just the same, I'd rather not be around them when they're talking about me. At least then I can pretend they're not doing it," Albus said, rolling his eyes.

"Okay," Scorpius said. With a wave of his wand, the chess sets packed themselves into their individual cases, and his chessboard folded into quarters, though moments before. it appeared to be made out of solid marble. Albus made fun of his black and white, glossy chessboard, calling it a rich boy's chess set. Albus' own was simply wooden, dark woods making the black squares, and lighter ones making the white.

"Well this would be an opportune moment to go to our common rooms," Albus said. "I'm so sick of this not being able to stay in my own room. Don't get me wrong. I like spending the night by you… but I miss the Gryffindor tower."

"I miss the dungeons," Scorpius said wistfully.

"I don't know why we have to leave," Albus complained. "They're the ones that have the problem. They should leave."

"We should try telling them that," Scorpius said, shaking his head. "It's awful, but they wouldn't like our logic much."

"I'm so sick of it," Albus said. He stopped walking and Scorpius turned to look at him.

"What's wrong?" Scorpius said.

"This isn't fair," Albus complained. "This shouldn't be making us miserable. We should be happy."

"I'm not miserable," Scorpius said. "Are you _miserable?"_

"No…" Albus said. "That's the wrong word. But when I think about this… I'm pretty upset."

Scorpius took his hands. "I know. I know. I am too."

"Merlin…" Albus said. "I feel like hell. I don't know why."

"Do you feel sick?" Scorpius said.

"No…" Albus said. "Just all of a sudden… I feel really down."

Scorpius frowned, touching his cheek.

There were footsteps down the corridor and both of them turned to look in the direction of the noise. Scorpius took his hand from Albus' cheek, and instinctively, Albus noticed, reached for his wand. Albus did the same, digging his hand into his pocket to be prepared.

It was the same group that had been at the end of the table, for the most part. Owen was in the lead, but Kirk had disappeared and the group had shrunk to a much smaller number. Albus and Scorpius both tightened their grips on their wands.

"Good evening," Owen said to them calmly. The entire group stopped to look at them. Albus almost laughed. There was nothing they could do at this point, other than start a fight for unfounded reasons. They would earn themselves a detention, and probably Scorpius and Albus one too… But it was unlikely that, here at school, they would do anything once they'd won—if they won.

"Evening," Albus replied bluntly, meeting the cold eyes of his former Beater.

Owen sighed, crossing his arms. "We were wondering if we could give you both a piece of our minds."

"And what exactly do you mean by that?" Scorpius asked.

"Get off your high horse Malfoy, and stop talking like you're better than all of us." Owen rolled his eyes.

"Some people just talk like that," Albus contributed angrily.

"Well, the entirety of Hogwarts is sick of you, if only they were gutsy enough to say it," Owen said. The rest of his group remained silent.

"You're pretty much an assuming arse then," Albus said. "Because that's a lie. Owen, we used to be mates. You were the Beater on the team…"

"I can't be friends with someone like you," Owen said.

"Why not?" Albus wondered.

"Because," Owen said. "What you are is wrong, and there's no getting around that. I think it's disgusting."  
>"What is more disgusting is the blatant lack of acceptance and the complete proliferation of ignorance!" Scorpius said.<p>

"Does he honestly talk like that all the time?" Owen growled to no one, whipping his wand through the air. Scorpius was unable to defend himself, he was so surprised, but Albus got the Shield Charm in place before whatever hex it was could reach Scorpius. Owen sneered. "Bad reflexes for someone who wants to be an auror."

Scorpius glared at him with the most indignant expression ever, and Albus dropped the Shield. Both parties stared at each other for a moment, but as soon as Owen raised his wand and began to open his mouth, he was pinned against the wall by an invisible force with absolutely no sound or movement from Scorpius.

Of course, Owen's band of followers didn't take too kindly to that. They had long since had their wands out and were quite prepared to use them. Albus and Scorpius readied to defend themselves, wands held level with their opponents' chests. Still pinned to the wall, Owen struggled to get free.

The duel left Albus and Scorpius outnumbered. Owen's group had six members, and with one pinned the wall, it was still five on two. But it was nearly a fair match, because Albus and Scorpius were two of the most talented duelists in the school at the time.

The spells being tossed around were moderately harmless. The most they could provide was a horrific gash or two, maybe muddle someone's brain for a day. The more aggressive shots were issued from the wand tips of Owen's friends, not from Scorpius and Albus. Scorp and Al weren't shooting to hurt the others, just to protect their own necks.

Suddenly, the entire sleeve of Scorpius' robe was glowing. Tongues of flame wicked up the black fabric easily. Albus, distracted, shot water at it, and the fire faded, but it left Albus sidetracked. A spell knocked him flat on his back on the ground, and he smacked his head against the stone flooring.

He blinked a couple times looking up. The scene had changed.

"What the hell is this?"

There was a flash of light and, as Albus' head swirled around him—he was momentarily stunned—there were other footsteps, new people joining the scene.

Albus felt a hand on the side of his head.

"Are you okay?" Scorpius demanded, leaning down close to Albus.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Albus said, trying to sit up. Scorpius pushed him back down.

"Not so fast," he said. "You hit your head hard. It echoed. I don't think you should move quickly."

"Are you okay?" Albus asked, reaching up.

"I'm fine," Scorpius said, turning away. Albus could tell he was trying to hide something from him.

"No, you're not," Albus said, trying to sit up again.

"Would you just hold still?" Scorpius said. "Don't worry about me."

Kirk appeared next to Scorpius in Albus' peripherals. "Come on Scorpius. Rose'll make sure he's okay."

"Who's here?" Albus asked, trying to see through Scorpius who was leaning over him and blocking his vision.

"Rose, Kirk, Nick, Lysander… then Professor Thomas and Professor Higgs. You blacked out for a couple of minutes…"

"Oh…" Albus said.

"Come on, Scorpius," Nick said.

"I'll see you shortly," Scorpius said, standing up and still trying to hide one side of his body from Albus.

"Hey, Al," Rose said, smiling at him. "I'm going to embarrass you now."

"How's that?" Albus said, trying to sit up again.

"Stay down, mate," Lysander contributed.

"I'm going to levitate you to the hospital wing, all right?" Rose said. "Embarrassing, yes, but Professor Thomas told me to do it. He worries that you might have a concussion."

"Oh… okay," Albus said. "I suppose that's acceptable."  
>-CD-<p>

Albus:

"I swear, it doesn't hurt that much!" Albus heard the protests from on the other side of the curtain around the bed next to his. Scorpius was arguing with Madam Tolomei. Albus was waiting for her to come see him, and Rose was sitting on the end of his bed, looking upset.

"What's up with him?" he asked her.

"His robes were ignited, right?" she said. "There are really bad burns on his arm."

"I hate this," Albus said.

"Albus, what happened?" she demanded, turning to look at him.

"Just an argument," Albus said, not sure why he was lying.

"Albus…" she said.

"Rose…" he said right back.

She sighed, putting her hand on his foot.

He heard a gasp from the other side of the curtain that surrounded Scorpius' bed.

"So it doesn't hurt, Mr. Malfoy?" Madam Tolomei said.

"Oh fine, it's really bloody awful," Scorpius complained, and his tone was that of someone wincing.

"Scorp?" Albus said.

"Yeah?" Scorpius said.

"It's okay," Albus told him.

"I know," Scorpius said. "I know it's okay, Al."

Rose smiled, shaking her head. Kirk and Nick walked around the end of Scorpius' bed.

"What are you doing here?" Albus demanded of Kirk.

"He's the reason we knew to come and find you," Rose said. "He came to find Scarlet, but she'd gone up to bed because she's got a head cold… So he came across me, Nick and Lysander in the library… He told us that Owen was plotting to do something to you two… I don't know… so we got up and we hurried to find you."

"Oh…" Albus said. "Thanks, I guess."

Kirk didn't look at him, but nodded. "I have to go…"

He walked out of the Hospital Wing, leaving them standing there. Madam Tolomei finally pulled away the curtain around Scorpius' bed, to make her way over to Albus. Scorpius was sitting up, completely shirtless, with his arm bandaged up and oozing some sort of yellow past at the edges. Albus glanced over at Rose who actually had the guts to stare at Scorpius' chiseled abdomen, right in front of Albus, as well as her own boyfriend. Albus nudged her with his foot and she broke her stare, hopping off the bed to get out of the nurse's way. Scorpius just laughed.

As Madam Tolomei examined Albus' head for fractures and shined some light in his eyes to look at his pupils, he felt Scorpius watching carefully, as Rose waited at the end of the bed, the only person remaining from the group that had come to their aid.

Across from their beds were a few more beds, surrounded by curtains. Albus had an inkling, judging by the Professors Thomas, Longbottom, Higgs and so forth, that were lingering by the beds, that it had to be some of Owen's friends, not in fantastic shape after their encounters with Albus and Scorpius' friends.

"It appears you have a concussion," Madam Tolomei said. "It's not too bad, but I'd like you to stay here over night. You can keep Mr. Malfoy company."

"Okay," Albus said, turning to grin at Scorpius.


	54. Is That Enough for You?

**Chapter 54.**

**Is That Enough for You?**

"Are you awake?" Scorpius asked.

"Yeah," Albus said.

"I thought so," Scorpius said. "You should be asleep."

He looked over at Albus' bed. In the dim light of the infirmary, he could see Albus stretched on his back, staring at the ceiling. Scorpius flung his blankets back, climbing out of his bed. He walked across the cold stone in between their beds. He tiptoed over and climbed into Albus' bed.

"Scorp…" Albus said, laughing. "Be careful of your arm."

"I am being careful, don't worry," Scorpius said, sliding under Albus' blankets with him and putting an arm around his shoulders.

"Did we… do the right thing?" Albus wondered.

"What do you mean?" Scorpius said.

"We never said why they did what they did… why they started the fight," Albus said. "I don't know why we didn't. We just avoided the words. We said it was an argument gone wrong, but we never said what the argument was about, Scorp."

"I think they might know," Scorpius said. "First your face… and then this… I think they might know…"

Albus shook his head, snuggling more tightly into Scorpius' side.

"Can't you sleep?" Scorpius wondered.

"I dunno," Albus said. "I haven't really given it a shot." Scorpius frowned. The tone of his voice was worrying. It reminded him of the Albus he met at the beginning of the year, more upset, darker.

"I love you," Scorpius informed him.

"I love you too," Albus said back looking up at him. "You can stay here."

Scorpius chuckled. "Is that your version of asking me?"

"Basically," Albus said.

"I will stay," Scorpius said.

Albus yawned largely, and Scorpius smiled at him, reaching up with his bad arm—which didn't hurt that badly anymore—to brush his fingers across Albus' cheek.

"Careful, idiot," Albus said. "You're going to hurt yourself."  
>"How's your head?" Scorpius wondered.<p>

"Peachy," Albus said, smiling at him. It was still a real Albus smile, a handsome one. The sort that made Scorpius' heart thud uncontrollably.

"I can't believe this," Scorpius said.

"What can't you believe?" Albus wondered, put his arm across Scorpius' middle, wrapping it around him from the front.

"That I actually have… love… in school," Scorpius said. "I thought I would have to wait a long time for something like this—to be comfortable enough for someone else to know, and then… by some miracle… have _anyone _feel something like love for me."

"It's not something like love," Albus said. "It is love. I mean… I've never loved anyone before. But I guess it probably is. That's how I feel at least…"

"I thought… when I came to the conclusion that I was gay… that my life was going to be really hard… horrible. I thought people were going to be cruel and awful and I would never make it anywhere," Scorpius said. "But then there's this…"

"But Scorpius…" Albus said. "We're sitting in the Hospital Wing, me with a concussion and you with a burnt up arm… all because of people being cruel to us because we're gay…"

"Doesn't this sort of cancel it out though?" Scorpius said. "The love makes it all better."

"It's because of the love that they do this," Albus said.

"What do you mean by that?" Scorpius demanded.

"I don't mean it offensively!" Albus said quickly, looking up in worry. "No, no. I'm so glad I have you, that you're here for me, and that I can be there for you, if you need me… but this makes it sort of hurt a little more than it should. First love should be glorious and fantastic and heart-stopping, world changing, amazing… and this dark cloud is following ours, raining on it."

"You know…" Scorpius said. "My mother said something to me once, when I was really little. I was outside, and she was teaching me about all these different plants and flowers and things she has in her garden behind our house… But then it started to rain. We had to go inside. I was really upset about it—the rain had ruined our afternoon. But she said to me… 'Scorpius, even the most beautiful flowers, the most helpful plants, would be nothing without the rain.'"

He watched Albus take that in, lazily drawing his fingertips across the skin of Scorpius' bare abdomen.

"I guess she has a point."

"You and I will be so much better, stronger, and so much more… in love, I suppose, because of this damn rain," Scorpius said.

Albus nodded. Scorpius could tell he was thinking about it very carefully, trying to apply the idea with the flowers to real life. It made sense to Scorpius—it was that idea that gave him the hope he needed in this situation. Here Albus was, lying in a hospital bed with a concussion because of their relationship. That was the most horrible thing in the world to him. He didn't want this for Albus—obviously he didn't. But there had to be something beyond this—this was school for Merlin's sake. People would grow up eventually.

"Go to sleep," Scorpius said gently.

"I'll try," Albus said. "There's a lot on my brain, Scorp."

"I figure," Scorpius said. "There's a good amount on mine too."

"We'll be all right," Albus said, and Scorpius sensed he was saying it more to himself than to Scorpius.

"We will be," Scorpius assured him.

-CD-

_~SHM~_

_Dear Dad,_

_How are you? And Mum? I know we haven't spoken in some time now. I know, but I feel as if that is wrong. You are my father, I am your son._

_Perhaps it may be better if neither of us acknowledge that little fact that I announced to you and Mum over the holidays. If you are not okay with it, then we probably shouldn't bring it up. No matter what, I would like to think that I am still your son—the boy you raised from a young age, who tried to be like you… who wanted nothing more than to be like his father. I just want to be your son. I can maybe look past what you think—your disapproval. If that is what this is. I am not sure I would want to know if you don't approve of this. I just want to be your son._

_Remember that. Before you knew anything about who I really am, deep inside, remember who I was to you before. Can we keep it that way, maybe? At least on the surface. I am not saying that everything will be perfect if we do this—some things are impossible to ignore. But if we leave it on the side, do you think it will be always gnawing at us?_

_I cannot say for certain. _

_I hope I have not disappointed you. I am still working hard at school—attempting to beat that Rose Weasley, of course. Nothing has changed in these seven years. I have been very busy. Seventh years tend to have a lot of work going on at one time, I am finding. On top of the Head Boy duties it is a tad overwhelming at times. Just want to make sure I can get into that auror program—if they will have me, I suppose. I hope they will. That is all I've ever wanted to do with myself, and you know that. There are few things in this world that sound as exciting as that to me. I don't know why… It is a job anyone should feel lucky to have. Just in my humble opinion. I am not going to disappoint. I am going to be the one accepted. They will let me in, if I keep it up the way I have been._

_And on top of that, of course, there is Quidditch. I don't know if we will beat Gryffindor—they are little too good, I think. Their Seeker, Albus Potter, my friend, you know, he is being scouted by the Montrose Magpies and a couple of other teams, I believe. So I am not sure I exactly stand a chance against him when we play in the final. But I do not intend to go in with the defeat already accepted. That is a sure way to lose, as you have always told me…_

_Dad… What would you say if I told you that I was happier than I have ever been before? I don't know how to tell you this—I am already breaking from the idea of not discussing anything about myself… but… I wonder if maybe you would want to know. You and Mum. Mum would want to know. Tell her. _

_There is someone here who I think I love. No, there really is not any thinking about it. I am in love. I want you to know that. I am _so _happy. I cannot imagine my life being any different. You have probably heard it all through the grapevine. You know who it is, do you not? _

_What can I say, other than that? I am happy. Is that enough for you? To know that I am happy? Or would you prefer that we not bring this up again—not for a while at least? I am your son, Dad. If you want me or not, I always will be. I wish you would remember that._

_Love,_

_Scorpius_

_P.S. I want to apologize again for the row we got in when I was home this Christmas. I do not regret you as a father. You made your choices, and I think that you, Mum and I… we are all better people because of it. Yes, they were not ideal… but what in life is? _

_~SHM~_

-CD-

_Dear James,_

_I don't know what to do with myself._

_I'm the bloody best Seeker this school has had in years, and the whole school is looking at me like I'm some sort of pariah._

_I guess not the whole school. Like a fifth of them or something, I dunno._

_This might be a bout of arrogance on my part, but shouldn't they be fawning over me, in awe of my Quidditch prowess? Doesn't some sort of moral teenage school code dictate that I ought to be treated like a god? I suppose Hogwarts isn't the norm, but I would like to think that I could get a little respect in this school._

_No, no… You're probably thinking right now that that was the most arrogant little paragraph you've ever seen. You're right. I'm an arse. I should just be like everyone else, and not treated special or anything insane like that. I'm just Albus Potter. Albus Severus Potter—absolutely normal, right?_

_There are a lot of good people in Hogwarts. _

_But there're too many arseholes in this world. How can the world fucking turn with people like this on it? Does it wake up in the morning and want to kill itself when it sees the horrible people that run rampant on its surface._

_I'm sorry I am the way I am, I guess. Do you think if I told them that, that it would make them feel any different? I didn't wake up one morning and say "Hey, let's be gay. That sounds like a great idea."_

_You know what, I'm not sorry. I was bloody happy. I AM bloody happy. Owen thinks that he's going to de-gay Hogwarts, I think… but I think Scorpius and I can take him._

_Bloody fuck._

_Read this letter over again and tell me I'm not bipolar._

__I think I might go up to the Astronomy Tower and practice my swan dives… talk to you later.__

__Wait... __I_ forgot I can't say stuff like that to my family without them freaking out so… don't freak out. Bye. _

_Al _


	55. Of Beating Hearts in Love

**Chapter 55.**

**Of Beating Hearts in Love**

Scorpius walked into the common room, his arm still wrapped in bandages. It was full of Slytherin students doing their homework, chatting with friends, or playing games. It was the same common room he had come into a thousand times in his life. More than, most likely.

"Hey!" Scarlet said, jumping up from the couch and bouncing over to him. She gave him a tight, one-sided hug to avoid his bad arm.

"Hi," he said, laughing. "Do you think I'm welcome here?"  
>"Of course you are," she said. "Look… no one is saying anything. We're just glad to have our chief Slytherin, our Head Boy, back. Scorpius, don't forget you're Head Boy. People respect you. Everyone here respects you. Didn't you notice that when Kirk got mad at you and you two were fighting here in the common room, most of the people supported you and <em>no one <em>stood up to come to his defense?"

Scorpius smiled. "I suppose you're right."

"And even him…" she said. "I think he's been thinking. Nick was talking to him—trying to speak some sense to him. They're friends. You're friends. All of you. No matter all that happened."

"I don't know if that's true, Scarlet," Scorpius said. "Kirk said a lot of things."

"Forgive and forget," Scarlet said. "You should talk to him."

"How do you forget the horrible things people say to you?" Scorpius said.

"Because, when the person knows the spell to get your arm to stop burning, and then they actually perform it to help you, then you know they might not mean it," she said, squeezing his hand.

"I thought it was Rose who shot that spell," Scorpius said. "I couldn't get it to go out…"

"You and Albus tried water," Scarlet said. "That wasn't the right direction. And Rose was distracted by her unconscious cousin."

"But I thought…" Scorpius said.

"You thought wrong," Scarlet said. "Nick says it was Kirk. And I believe him."

Scorpius looked past her to where Kirk was bent over a book, looking tired.

"Do you think… do you think there's a _chance _I might be able to sleep in my own dormitory?" Scorpius said.

"I think there's a good chance," she said. "And I think there's a good chance that Albus will be able to sleep in his."

"What?" Scorpius said.

"I dunno," Scarlet said. "I haven't seen Owen all day."

"Huh…" Scorpius said.

"I don't know," she said, more articulate this time. "Maybe you should talk to him. Kirk I mean…"

"I don't want to… I don't know… bother him," Scorpius said. "I don't understand why he feels the way he does about some things, but he feels that way, and I don't want to create any tension."  
>"Scorp…" she said.<p>

"Scarlet," he returned, smiling at her. "I think I'm just going to go and get some of my stuff and start my homework."

"Where's Albus?" she asked.

"Quidditch," he said.

"Oh," she said.

"Yeah," he said, sighing a little.

"Life'll be okay, Scorpius," she promised him.

"I know it will be," he said, smiling.

"What's wrong?" she asked him.

"Nothing," he said.

"Stop lying," she said, looking up at him. "What's wrong?"

"I'm worried about Albus," he said.

"What about him?" she said.

"I'm just worried," he said. "I don't know…"

"Maybe you should talk to Rose," she suggested.

"I can't." Scorpius shook his head back and forth. "That would be going behind his back. And I can't do that. That's not fair of me."

"But Scorpius… is it for the best?" she said.

"I don't know," he said. "I'll have to wait and see some, I suppose."

"Okay…" she said. "I think if he knew you were just looking out for him, he would be okay with it."

"Yeah, but I still do not want to betray him," he said. "I don't want him to think that Rose and I like to talk about him, keep tabs on him and keep each other updated."

She nodded. "I guess that's understandable."

He nodded, shaking his head.

"If you love him," she said. 'It's part of the job description to look out for him."  
>"I do love him," Scorpius said. He couldn't help but smile as he said it.<p>

"I know," Scarlet said. "That's what I'm saying."

-CD-

"Rose," Scorpius hissed, drawing her attention as she walked by with another member of the Gryffindor Quidditch team. She walked over to him, where he was hanging covertly by a pillar to avoid drawing Albus' attention.

"What?" she said.

"I need to talk to you," he said. "Without Albus…"

"Are you keeping secrets?" she demanded as he grabbed her hand and yanked her into the nearest classroom, closing and locking the door behind them. "Or are you going to rape me?"  
>"Hate to burst your bubble, Weasley, but you're not my type," he said, rolling his eyes. "And that's not a funny joke."<br>"Okay, then what is it?" she said.

"How's Albus?" he said.

"What? Why don't you just ask him yourself? You two can barely spend a minute apart!"

"No, I mean, do you think anything was off with him at practice? Did he seem a little… less… chipper than the Albus of late?"

"Er… I don't know," she said. "I mean… I wasn't specifically looking for it… but I guess, now that you mention it, he seemed a little less chipper, yes. But you know Albus. When he's on the Quidditch pitch, all qualms and problems sort of are left on the ground."

"I'm not just talking about Quidditch practice, I guess," Scorpius said. "Other times as well. Have you noticed anything?"

"Have _you?" _she said. "Are you worried about him for some reason?"

"He's just… since everything that happened yesterday- _Oh Merlin_ he was playing _Quidditch _with a_ concussion_!"

"Madam Tolomei didn't tell him he couldn't and you know Albus… if there's nothing saying no, then that means it's perfectly allowable," she said.

"He's so crazy sometimes…" Scorpius said, shaking his head. "I think maybe that should have been implied."  
>"I think you could have put every weight of implication on that and he would've still done it," Rose said.<p>

"Good point," he said. "But that's, I guess, not the point of this conversation. Lately, he seems spontaneously upset about things. For instance, as soon as we left the Great Hall after playing chess last night, before we were accosted… he was noticing that group of Owen's down at the end of the table and yet it didn't bother him… not at that moment. He laughed and played chess with me. As soon as he was out of the Great Hall, he seemed really down to me."

"He would probably hate it that we're talking about him," Rose said. She sighed. "I worry about him too much."

"I do too, I suppose," Scorpius said. "But I don't ever want him to feel like he did, back when I first really started to get to know him… I just want him to be happy."

"I know," Rose said. "You're so kind, Scorpius. You love him. I know. So let's make a deal right now, okay?"

"Er…" he said, not sure he wanted to enter into any sort of a deal with Rose Weasley.

"You don't have to shake until you hear what the deal is," she said.

"Okay…" he said.

"And I won't make it an Unbreakable Vow, don't worry," she said.

"Sounds good," he said.

"All right," she said. "Let's just… agree that we both keep an eye on him. We don't update each other, we don't talk about him—unless it's absolutely necessary. I might go so far to say that we may very well be the two people in this world he would tell _anything—_absolutely anything. But he's stubborn. And if something's wrong, he might not listen to just one of us. Sometimes Albus needs two voices of reason before he sucks it up and accepts. If you get more than worried about him, Scorpius, please, tell me. I'll do the same for you."

"Sounds like something I could agree too," Scorpius said. "You have a deal, Rose Weasley."

He offered out his hand and she shook heavily, smiling at him. "Thanks."

"For what?" he said.

"For looking out for him," she said. "For making him happy."

"I wouldn't do anything else," Scorpius said. "It's all I want. Is to make him happy."

"I know," she said. "He deserves it."

"I know he does," Scorpius said, smiling.

"I think he was looking for you," she said, smiling. "I'm going to find Lysander."

"Okay," Scorpius said. "Do you know where he went?"

"He was headed down to the dungeons," she said.  
>"Okay," he said. "Thanks, Rose."<p>

"Anytime, Scorpius," she said, turning and heading away, up the grand staircase. He turned in the other direction and headed toward the doorway that would take him to the dungeon stairs.

Albus was waiting outside the common room, contemplating the password at the apparently stubborn brick wall.  
>"It changed," Scorpius informed him, walking over to put his arms around Albus. Albus returned the hug and Scorpius kissed him on the cheek, before breathing in the clean smell. Clearly Albus had just gotten out of the shower in the locker rooms.<p>

"Hi," Albus said.

"You smell good," Scorpius informed him, pressing his nose into Albus' neck.

Albus laughed. "Thanks?"

"That's a good thing," Scorpius said, smiling.

"I figured," Albus said, putting his arms around Scorpius' neck and lifting his chin to kiss him on the lips.

"How was practice," Scorpius asked when they broke the kiss.

"It was pretty good," Albus said. "We're ready for our next game. What have you been up to?"

"I was in the common room," he said. "It seemed like I was pretty welcome… I might be able to sleep in my own bed."

"That's good," Albus said, squeezing his hands. "Merlin…"

"I don't want you to be alone in the Room of Requirement though," Scorpius said. "Maybe we could both sleep in here in my bed."  
>"I don't know if Kirk would go for that," Albus said, shaking his head. "That might be a bit awkward for him, don't you think?"<p>

"Maybe we could ease him into the idea," Scorpius said, chuckling.

"All I know is I'm not going back to my bed anytime soon," Albus said, resting his head against Scorpius' shoulder.

"Come on," Scorpius said, taking his hand. "Even if he doesn't want us sleeping there, we can at least go hang out in my dorm."

"Okay," Albus said.

Scorpius said the password to the wall, and they walked into the common room. No one seemed to really notice them, save for Scarlet, as they walked by and back down the hallway that took them to the boys' seventh year dormitory. The room was empty, and Scorpius was glad of it.

"I've missed it," he said, sitting down on his bed and laughing a little. Albus sat next to him, smiling and taking his hand. Albus looked up at Scorpius, their eyes meeting. Scorpius tried to see past the crazy emerald eyes, into the well-hidden soul. Perhaps he was a little afraid of what he would see, for his heart started to beat heavily—so heavily he could have sworn Albus would have to be deaf not to hear it.

"Feel this," he said, drawing attention to it. He took the hand that Albus was holding and held it against his chest, right over his heart.

"Merlin…" Albus said. "Are you having a heart-attack?"

"No…" Scorpius said. "That's what you do to me."  
>"Is that a good thing?" Albus wondered.<p>

"I don't know." Scorpius shook his head, still holding Albus' hand there. "Maybe good and bad. It's worry and love, Albus."

"You don't need to worry about me, Scorp," Albus said.

"Too late," Scorpius said. "I think part of love is worry."

Scorpius' heart continued to thud beneath their hands.


	56. Don't Mess With a Malfoy

**Chapter 56.**

**Don't Mess With a Malfoy**

"Mr. Potter? Mr. Malfoy?" Professor Higgs poked his head into Charms class the following morning while Scorpius and Albus practiced the spell they were working on. "Professor, do you mind if I borrow them?"

Scorpius and Albus looked at each other, but got up, from their chairs. They followed him out the door into the corridors.

"Professor Thomas, Professor Longbottom and I need to speak with you," Professor Higgs said. "We're going to go to the Headmaster's office."

Scorpius and Albus exchanged another look, but said nothing, following the Ancient Runes professor down the hallway.

When Professor Higgs spouted the password to the office, they all got on the tree-step staircase, riding it up to the top. Professor Higgs knocked twice on the door, and pushed it open. The three walked into the Headmaster's office, which Albus had seen several times in his life, and Scorpius probably several more times with his role as Head Boy.

Professor Thomas sat behind his desk and Professor Longbottom stood by. Albus froze, however, when he saw his parents, as well as Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy, sitting in a cluster of chairs. They appeared to all have been having cordial conversation until the door open and they all froze, looking up. Next to Albus, Scorpius was stiff as a board, in shock.

"Come in, have a seat," Professor Thomas invited them. They shuffled forward to join the circle of chairs connected to Professor Thomas' desk, leaving Scorpius sitting next to his mother and Albus next to his mother.

"What are you doing here?" Albus couldn't refrain from asking.

"Professor Thomas sent us an owl," his mum informed him. "He asked us if we could spare some time to come in, that there were some important things he needed to talk about with us. And you. And Scorpius and his parents too…"

"Oh," Albus said, looking around.

"I informed your parents that there was a fight between both of you and several other gentlemen in your year and in sixth year, resulting in a hospital stay for both of you…. It didn't take very long for Professor Higgs, Professor Longbottom and me to come to some conclusions about what had happened."

"Oh…" Scorpius said this time.

"Especially since just a day or so before, Albus came into the infirmary, according to Madam Tolomei, with a spell that had cut into his face a very… offensive word."

"Albus…" his mum said.

"I'm fine, Mum," he said, before she could worry too much. "Don't worry about it."

"Albus, it is something that needs to be addressed," Professor Thomas said.

Albus made a face, but he didn't say anything. His mother continued to look at him with concern.

"Would you like to explain it to your parents or would you like me to?" Professor Longbottom asked kindly.

"I'm eighteen, I can handle it," Albus said, perhaps a little too snidely to someone who had just been acting kindly. "I was sitting in the library with Scorpius and some spell from the other side of the shelves hit me and sliced the word _fag _into my face. It's not a big deal. It's healed, no scars, no nothing."

"Albus…" his mum said.

"I'm fine," he assured her.

"It is my understanding that, since the beginning of the second term, your sons have been the target of several acts of sexual harassment," Professor Thomas said.

"Is that what you call it?" Scorpius said. Albus looked at him. No one responded to his comment.

"Sexual harassment?" Mrs. Malfoy interrupted. "What do you mean...?"

"For one thing," Professor Longbottom said, "Albus came to me right after term to ask my permission to remove one of the Gryffindor beaters from the Quidditch team and find a replacement. He didn't need to present me with any reasons—I knew by the look he gave me that it was the right move to make, for some reason."

"Before we go on," Professor Higgs said, "perhaps we should clarify a couple of points."

Albus frowned, but apparently Scorpius caught on immediately.

"Oh," Scorpius said. "You want to know what's true or false in the Hogwarts rumor mill."

"It would be of some help, yes," Professor Higgs said.

"Well you already know I'm gay, professor, but I'm not saying anything else," Scorpius said. Albus watched Mr. Malfoy's reaction. He was simply staring at his son with a wordless, awed expression.

"What he means to say is, he doesn't think it's right of him to share that I'm gay as well," Albus said. "He's too nice to share my own stuff."

"Which I'm sure brings you to your next question," Scorpius said, looking up at the professors. "You want to know if we're in a relationship on top of all of that." He looked at Albus, and Albus hoped his face communicated his feelings that the cat was out of the bag anyway, so it didn't actually matter. Scorpius nodded. "We are in a relationship."  
>Albus' mother put her hand on his shoulder, giving it a little squeeze.<p>

"Alright," Professor Higgs said. "I'm not sure if that changes anything…"

"Well, it does and it doesn't," Professor Thomas said.

"It shouldn't," Scorpius said. "What difference does it make in the grand scheme of things? Does it make a difference in the fact that they called us fags and queers and shirt-lifters, because we actually are?"

"Scorp—" Albus said.

"No," Scorpius said. "Those are offensive words, but they all mean the same things. They are just offensive words for it."

Albus nodded. He supposed Scorpius was right. Scorpius, quite frankly, was always right.

"It should _not_ make a difference," Scorpius said. "No one deserves to be called that, whether it is true or not. They are offensive arseholes, who do horrible things and who say horrible things."

Albus couldn't help but smile at him. Scorpius was passionate, and Albus could see it. Perhaps Scorpius wouldn't be the one to draw attention to the situation, but now that light was being shed on it, he wasn't going to hold back.

Albus looked again at Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy. Scorpius' mother looked like she couldn't decide whether to be proud of what her son said, or hideously depressed by it. Mr. Malfoy was clearly thinking, hand on his chin, almost covering his mouth in thought. He didn't look at Scorpius, but when he felt Albus' eyes on him, he looked up, silver eyes, almost identical to Scorp's, bored back into Albus'. Albus felt the need to shrink away, but he held Mr. Malfoy's gaze until Professor Thomas spoke.

"We only know what the other teachers and I have seen in the school," he said. Both Albus and Mr. Malfoy looked away from each other to the headmaster. "Several teachers have expressed concerns about some whispers of the other students, questioning whispers. Students are naturally curious. But there are worse whispers, commentaries, that are full of threats. Perhaps they don't threaten you to your face, but several students have contemplated shocking violence against both of you. It's the same group, however, over and over again."

"I suppose we could probably list them," Scorpius said. "It's probably everyone in that group that started the row with us two nights ago. I've got some interesting scars from that. You might want to check up on that spell. It's evil."

"Scars?" his mother said. "Let me see Scorpius."

"Mother…" he said, rolling his eyes. He shrugged out of his robes. Underneath, his white shirt was pushed up to the elbows on both of his arms. He showed to her the odd pattern of light white scars across his arm.

"Yes, that was the breaking point. On top of the hospital wing visit for the cuts on Albus' face," Professor Thomas said, shaking his head.

"Albus, why did you take Owen Matthews off the Quidditch team?" Professor Longbottom wondered.

"Because," Albus said. "He chose to spend practice time off the field, discussing with others the gay problem of the school and what they were going to do about it. He wouldn't listen to me, and I highly doubt we would've gotten past sharing a locker room without a brawl of Weasley blood against Owen."

"Yes… Mr. Matthews was a member of the group that is concerning us," Professor Higgs said, nodding.

"Where has he been?" Albus wondered.

"He's on suspension. It was he who set the fire to Scorpius' robes, and who cast the spell that caused you to hit your head, causing your concussion. He has been sent home for a week. He apparated from Hogsmeade yesterday morning."

"Oh," Albus said.

"You know…" Scorpius said. "Maybe I should share this… if you all want to know exactly what is happening… Albus and I were, for an extended period of time, unwelcome in our dorm rooms."

"Owen wasn't all that keen on letting me in there," Albus explained.

"And though the problems in the Slytherin dorms have been resolved at this point, we both were, for a time, inhabiting the Room of Requirement. It's very hospitable," Scorpius said. "I gave Albus the password to the Head Boy's bathroom, so he wouldn't have to worry about going up to the dormitory…"

The heads exchanged a few glances. Albus' parents were both looking at each other, concerned.

"I feel the best course of action would be to reassess the situation," Professor Thomas said.

"What do you mean, _reassess the situation_?" Mr. Malfoy said, speaking for the first time, causing everyone to look at him. He didn't seem to notice. "Are you telling me that eighteen-year-old boys, with this amount of magical talent, and strength can be worried about where they're going to sleep at night, and you're going to _reassess the situation?"_

"Dad—" Scorpius said.

"Scorpius, I know you," his father said. "You could flatten any of them in a duel, but you don't even do that… You are the Head Boy of this school you shouldn't feel like you can't sleep in your own dormitory. I would bet every galleon in my vault at Gringotts that there are others in this school in the same position as my son, and his… and Albus here, but they're too nervous to be who they are. This school is lacking in acceptance."

Albus looked up at Mr. Malfoy. Honestly, if anyone was going to be preaching about acceptance, they ought to be accepting themselves. He wanted to snap something snide at Scorpius' father, but bit his tongue, because in the end, the man was still defending him—and he was still Scorpius' dad.

And on top of that, Albus' own father chipped in then.

"Maybe we should see how the boys fair after some punishment for starting fights with our sons. Malfoy… Draco… I'm not condoning any of this—I am just saying that there may be some changes. If not, I think we need to look at this differently. I don't care what the opinions of the staff of this school are, or the students, or anything. I know that my son is a good kid, a good student, and phenomenal Quidditch player, and Hogwarts is lucky to have him. You should do whatever you can to make sure that students like him—and him!—want to stay here."

-CD-

"Albus…" his mother said. "Write us if you need anything."

"I'll be fine," Albus said. "I can look after myself. And it's not like I'm alone or anything. I've got Rose, and Scorp and…" He looked down the corridor to where Scorpius' mother was fussing over him, but his father was looking away from both of them not speaking to Scorpius.

"I'll be right back," Albus said. He walked over to the Malfoy's, putting his hand on Scorpius' shoulders.

"Al…" Scorpius said.

"I just want to say something," Albus said. "Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy?"

He felt Scorpius tense. Albus lacked eloquence, and both he and Scorpius knew it. But he was going to give it his best bet.

"I just thought I'd let you know that your son is… the best thing that has ever happened to me. And I don't know what your feelings are on all of that—that's your own business. But I thought I'd share that he's the best, kindest, most genuine, caring person I know. And I'm sure he has no one but you two to thank for that. I'm lucky to have him in my life as a friend… and more, I suppose. Like I said, I don't know your opinions on the matter… but…"

Scorpius smiled next him, giving Albus a quick hug. He leaned in to whisper in Albus' ear.

"I love you."

"I know," Albus said. "Me too…" They broke the hug and he turned to the Malfoys. "It's good to see you again. I wish it could have been under better circumstances."

He turned away from them and walked back to his parents to say goodbye.


	57. How to Be a Good Person

**Chapter 57**

**How to Be a Good Person (as demonstrated by Scorpius Malfoy)**

Scorpius smiled to himself, pushing open the door to the temporarily Owen-free Gryffindor boys' dormitory. Albus was sprawled on his bed, bare shoulders visible, face turned away from Scorpius. All he could see was Albus' messy black head of hair. The rest of the inhabitants of the dorm room had already gotten up, and headed down to breakfast. Scorpius had suspected that Albus would be enjoying his moments in his own bed.

He walked across the room, running his fingers through Albus' hair when he got there.

"Albus," he said, as Albus stirred a little.

"Yeah?"

"Morning," Scorpius said.

Albus rolled onto his back, smiling. "Morning."  
>"Happy Valentine's Day," Scorpius said.<p>

"What?" Albus said, sitting up rapidly.

"It's Valentine's Day…" Scorpius said.

"I completely forgot," Albus said.

Scorpius laughed. "It's okay. We've had other things on our mind."

"I feel bad though," Albus said.

"Don't," Scorpius said. "Come on, get up. Do you want to get breakfast?"

"I have to shower first," Albus said, throwing his feet out of his bed. "You can go down to breakfast if you want."

"Nah, I'll wait," Scorpius said, sitting on the end of Albus' bed.

Albus smiled. "All right." Scorpius couldn't help but stare at him as he walked by in his pajama pants, absolutely shirtless.

Scorpius sat comfortably on the end of Albus' bed, looking around. He was fairly messy, Scorpius was finding, but the mess sort of made sense, in a way. He could see it making sense to Albus, at least. He turned, looking at Albus's destroyed bed. He rolled around a lot in his sleep, Scorpius knew. But there was something else. Poking out from Albus' pillow was a small, rectangular object, black leather. He reached out and took it, realizing it was a very small leather-bound notebook.

He flipped it open, trying to think of how Albus would be writing in such a small notebook. But then he figured it out. The writing too, was impossibly small. It was a shrunken notebook. Scorpius waved his wand, and the book grew back to normal size. He opened the book to the first page.

_This is the property of Albus S. Potter. _

He turned the page and realized instantly what it was. It was the Gryffindor Quidditch playbook, the secrets of every play the Gryffindor team had used and had yet to use under the captaincy of Albus Potter. It was the secret to the win of the cup that Scorpius so coveted.

He closed the book quickly. He shrunk it and stuck it at the same angle, back under the pillow. It was tempting, yes, but he couldn't break Albus' trust. As much as he wanted that cup… he didn't want to take something from Albus. Albus trusted him not to go fishing under his pillow and invading his privacy.

He waited for Albus, not looking at the book. It wasn't too long before Albus came out of the bathroom in a cloud of steam, tying his tie with wet hair.

"You're patient," Albus said, standing in front of him while he tied his tie.

Scorpius raised an eyebrow, grabbing a hold of the tie and pulling Albus down toward him.

"Only sometimes," he said, leaning in to kiss Albus on the lips. Albus grinned against the kiss, pushing Scorpius back onto the bed.

"Screw breakfast," Albus said, smiling almost wickedly.

"I love you," Scorpius said.

"Merlin, I know," Albus said, closing his eyes. He flopped onto the bed, next to Scorpius, twisting their fingers together. "I love you too, Scorpius."

Scorpius propped himself up on his side to look at Albus. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know," Albus said. "I don't actually know. Maybe it's just me. Just how I am. I can't be happy for any extended period of time. Unless I'm with you, I guess. I love being near you."

Scorpius touched his face. "Maybe I'll never go away then."

Albus smiled a little, a wry smile. "Okay. We'll be the disgusting mushy couple that no one wants to be around. But it's okay. Who needs anyone else?"

Scorpius sighed. "I don't know what's wrong, Albus. I don't. I can't say I have any idea. But I know it kills me when you feel this way."

"No…" Albus said. "Don't let me drag you down."

"You're not dragging me anywhere," Scorpius said. "I'll go by free will if I must." He smiled brightly, kissing Albus' forehead. "Tomorrow we're going to Hogsmeade. You and me."

"Yes," Albus said. "Willingly. I have to get you something for a late Valentine's Day present. I can't believe I forgot such a holiday."

"It's an erroneous commercial joke," Scorpius said. "I don't care."

"It's an erroneous commercial joke, but maybe we should celebrate," Albus said. "It's the first time either of us has had someone to celebrate with. We should make it special."

"Let's go to breakfast," Scorpius said. "I know, I know, screw breakfast and all that… but your stomach's growling."

"Okay," Albus said, laughing a little. "I suppose we can start with breakfast."

They got up, but Scorpius stopped him before they could walk out of the room.

"Don't forget this," Scorpius said, reaching down and grabbing the play book. "Didn't you say you always keep it on you?"

"You know what this is?" Albus said, staring at him. He held out his hand expectantly, frowning. He looked up at Scorpius.

"I was curious. I got to the second page. I'm sorry. I didn't read it, I promise," Scorpius said.

Albus took the book and tucked it into his pocket. "Right."

"I promise," Scorpius said.

"I trust you," Albus said, smiling.

-CD-

"So," Scarlet said, sitting comfortably cross-legged on her bed.

"So?" Scorpius said, also sitting with her, stretched out by the footboard.

"How are things with Mr. Potter?" she asked, waggling her eyebrows suggestively.

"We're going to Hogsmeade together tomorrow," Scorpius said, smiling coyly—he couldn't help it.

"Oh really?" she said. "Hogsmeade dates lead to some fun activities." She grinned, the suggestions still obvious in her eyes and her expression.

"Oh stop," he said. "It's not like that with us. Not yet, Scarlet. And I think it's a good thing. We can't rush this. It's a first for both of us, this type of thing, Scarlet."

"Don't you want it though?" she said.

"Oh don't get me wrong," he said. "So much fucking pent up sexual tension… Tension? That's not even the right word."

"I've come to recognize sex as a basic human need," Scarlet said. "It's just wrong to deprive yourself of something like that."

"Um…" Scorpius said. "We're doing all right."

"Wanking off works, I suppose," she teased.

"Scarlet, you're crude," he complained, looking away from her.

"I know," she said. "But you love him, don't you?"

"Just because I love him doesn't mean we should just start shagging," he said. "There's a lot more that goes into something like that. I know it doesn't for you, Scarlet. But I'm… you know I'm a virgin. And Albus has never been with another bloke before."

"I know," she said. "There's actually a lot that goes into it for me too, Scorp. I know it doesn't look much like it, but there is. I couldn't… I mean… there's Nick. But I just got such a weird feeling with him. I know we maybe didn't go about it in the right way, but the raw attraction had more to it than just me thinking he was hot and him thinking I was hot too. He told me that he thought I was amazing since Quidditch trials. And he's just so… sweet. I knew it was right when I decided to sleep with him, Scorpius, soon as it might have been. I knew it was the start of something else much greater than physical attraction."

Scorpius nodded, looking at her. She really was something else. But on top of all of it, she was the greatest person he had ever know, the best friend any guy could ask for her. He loved her.

"I want it," Scorpius said. "but I don't think either of us is ready."

"I think only you two can know that," she said. "But Merlin, I don't know how you could keep your hands off of someone so… wonderful looking."

"Thank you for keeping your crude comments to a minimum about my boyfriend," Scorpius said. "And I _can't_ keep my hands off him."

"You put your hands on him above the belt though," she said. "It's different."

"Right…"

"Look, Scorpius… You know yourself better than even I could expect to know you… just do what you think is right, and honestly, talk to Albus if you're worried about anything," she said.

"I wasn't worried until _you _brought it up," he said.

"Oh don't try to tell me it wasn't on your mind, Scorp," she said. "I know you better than that."

"I know," he said. "But I get the whole day with him tomorrow—no Quidditch, no fights, no nothing. Just the two of us with no distractions. Our Valentine's Day on the fifteenth of February."

She smiled. "Nick and I are celebrating too. We're keeping our Hogsmeade trip short—dorm rooms will be vacant if we come back early." She waggled her eyebrows again.

"Oh Merlin," he said. "Come on, Scarlet. I don't think even you are that perpetually horny."

"I'm not," she said. "And I'm only crude about it with you, Scorpius. Or Nick. Or Rose Weasley lately, because she feels like a slut, and likes to think that there are others out there like her."

"I figure Lysander Scamander is pretty lucky that Albus hasn't destroyed him yet for putting a hand on her," Scorpius said.

"Nah. He wouldn't. Rose would get pissed at him. It's not like it's Albus' sister. I pity the bloke that ever does anything to her," Scarlet said. "I can't imagine incurring the brother wrath of _both _Albus and James."

Scorpius grinned. "They're a pretty intimidating duo, don't you think?"

"Scorp?" she said, clearly changing the subject.

"What?" he said.

"How do you think you know when someone is right for you?" she asked. "And I don't mean right like a good shag, or someone you want to be with in school… I mean right—like let's get married and have children, _right."_

"I don't know," Scorpius said. "I… I'm not sure."

"Do you feel that way about Albus?" she wondered.

"Our relationship is still new—really new. In so many ways, Scarlet," he said. "I think about the future, and I can imagine him by my side for the rest of my life—waking up next to him, I mean, every morning." He smiled at the idea of it. "And I have every positive feeling right now that that will happen… but sometimes life gets in the way."

"I worry about life getting in the way," she said. "I mean, it always seems different for witches and wizards. Their school relationships make it. But Nick and I aren't even the same age… but…"

"I think he loves you," Scorpius said.

"I know he does," she said.

"Then don't worry about it," he said. "What will be will be."

"Even though we're celebrating tomorrow…" she said. "Let me show you what he got me."

She reached under her pillow and pulled out a box. Inside of it was a necklace, a line of diamonds on a brilliant, shimmering silver chain.

"He loves you," Scorpius said.

Scarlet scoffed. "Diamonds aren't a symbol of love."

"No, but you know what I mean," Scorpius said.

"I guess I do." She had a slight smile on her face—it was one that said everything. It was the same smile Scorpius got on his face when he thought about Albus.


	58. I'm Taking Your Shirt Off

_**A/N: I'm sorry for the temporary disappearance off the face of the earth. I'm back. The next update will come more quickly than this one. Promise! Also, things are taking a couple chapter turn for the mature, just so you know. You've been warned. **_

**Chapter 58**

**I'm Taking Your Shirt Off**

"You know what?" Scorpius said as they traipsed through the snow, hand in hand. They were on the path towards Hogsmeade, somewhat behind the rest of the crowd. Rose and Lysander were up above a ways, and Nick and Scarlet had long since run ahead, bewitching snowballs at each other. Albus looked up at Scorpius.

"What?" he said.

"I'm really happy," Scorpius said. "I'm happy, because I'm able to celebrate Valentine's Day with my boyfriend, and I don't have to worry about keeping secrets from the rest of the world."

Albus grinned at him, swinging their hands between them, gently back and forth.

"It's a great day," Albus said. "Our Day-after-Valentine's-Day."

Scorpius smiled. "What did you get me?"

"I haven't gotten you anything yet!" Albus said, laughing. "I thought that was the point of this. But if it's not, don't mind me asking, what did you get me?"

Scorpius blushed. "Nothing yet."

"I thought so," Albus said, shaking his head.

"Let's go to The Three Broomsticks," Scorpius said. "I'd like some butterbeer, I think."

"Me too," Albus said. They started down the snowy Hogsmeade street together, and they pushed through the crowd to a table in the back.

"Oh Merlin," Albus said as they took their cloaks off.

"What?" Scorpius said.

"My sister," Albus said, pointing. Lily was sitting, concealed behind an indoor plant, attached by the lips to her sixth year Ravenclaw boyfriend.

"Charming," Scorpius said. "You wait here, I'll get the butterbeer."

"Here," Albus said, holding out a few sickles.

"My treat," Scorpius said, pushing his hand away. Albus sighed and sat down, shaking his head.

He watched Scorpius at the counter until he had two bottles of butterbeer and a couple of glasses. He came back to the table and sat down in the seat next to Albus, instead of across from him.

"Thanks," Albus said, smiling at him. Scorpius twisted his fingers around Albus' and smiled at him.

"You're welcome," Scorpius said, smiling at him. "Merlin. This feels so good. I feel so happy."

"Happy Valentine's Day," Albus said, raising his mug. Scorpius clinked his mug against Albus' and the pair of them took a sip in unison.

Albus looked down into his mug of butterbeer, contemplating. But Scorpius nudged him with his foot, under the table, so Albus looked up. Scorpius was smiling at him. Albus couldn't help but smile back.

"I love you," Scorpius told him.

"I know," Albus said. "I love you too."

"What do you want to do with our day?" Scorpius said. "We have all of Hogsmeade."

"It's a really nice day," Albus said. "We should only go into a few shops—to look at brooms, to Zonkos, to see if Uncle George has popped in for the day… Honeydukes…"

"All of the necessities," Scorpius said. "Is there anything you need?"

"Nope," Albus said. "Anything you need?"

"Nothing I can think of," Scorpius said, taking a hefty sip of his butterbeer.

"Okay," Albus said. "We can spend most of the day outside then. It's nice and cold, but in a good way. Not the freeze your nose off kind of way."

"I know what you mean," Scorpius said, smiling. They were quiet for a moment, sipping their butterbeer comfortably.

-CD-

"Why do they still call it Zonko's?" Scorpius asked Albus as they headed down the street.

"Officially, it's 'Zonko's: The Hogsmeade Branch of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes.'" Albus looked up at the sign. "Why change the name?"

"I guess that makes sense," Scorpius said, chuckling. He took Albus' hand.

"My uncle doesn't know… about me… I don't think. Maybe he does now. Maybe Fred told him," Albus said. "If he seems surprised… that's why."

"Okay," Scorpius said. "I hope we don't catch him off guard."

"He'll be fine with it," Albus assured him. Scorpius examined his assured face, his confidence. He was handsome, and ready, and Scorpius wanted to take him by the hand, pull him away from the shop. He wanted to find some place that was comfortable, and hidden, and private, where he could put his arms around Albus and snog him until the world stopped turning.

"Al…" Scorpius said.

"I promise he'll be fine," Albus said. He turned to Scorpius, but was instantly distracted by the expression on Scorpius' face. "What-?"

"I really, really, would like to kiss you," Scorpius informed him, closing the distance between them. Albus smiled faintly.

"What brought this on?" he asked, glancing at his uncle's shop, but, as Scorpius noted, easily turning away without another thought. Albus began to tow him down the street a ways, still close, attached by hands with twisted fingers.

"I don't know," Scorpius said. "Where are we going?"

"Back to the castle," Albus said. "So we can snog. In private."

Scorpius swallowed. They needed to walk quickly. There was a sudden tone to Albus' voice that was quite… well there was no other word for it... _arousing. _

"But what about your Valentine's Day present?" Scorpius wondered stupidly.

"I don't need a present," Albus said. "Nothing you could buy me could make me happy. You can make me happy. You do make me happy. I don't need presents, ever, when you're around."

"Oh…" Scorpius said.

"But, if you would like something, certainly we can go back to Zonko's, or maybe the Quidditch shop," Albus said, pausing their trek back to the castle.

"Didn't I say I would like to kiss you?" Scorpius said. "I don't want anything but that for our late Valentine's Day."

"That can be arranged," Albus said. He sped them up now, and Scorpius kept his stride as they rushed back to the castle.

"We should go to the Room of Requirement," Scorpius said. "More private. We can kiss as passionately as we'd like, I think, and no one would really be bothered."

"I don't care about bothering people," Albus grumbled. "But I suppose you're probably right."

They headed up to the Room of Requirement, and Scorpius let Albus request what he would of the room, before the door appeared in the wall and they walked through.

"I love you," Scorpius told Al for the millionth time, pulling him close to him as the door clicked shut behind them. He unwound Albus' scarf, dropping it on the floor; there were too many layers between them.

Albus shook his head, effectively rubbing his nose against Scorpius' as he did so. "I love you too. You know that. I can't believe anything about this relationship, other than how real it is. How every time you touch me I get goosebumps and my skin tingles, and your voice makes my day better, no matter what you're saying."

Scorpius smiled as Albus unzipped his own Muggle winter jacket and Scorpius did the same.

"It's warm in here," Albus commented, peeling off his Weasley sweater, so he had nothing but a white short sleeved t-shirt and jeans on. Scorpius dropped his own coat on the floor, pulling Albus closer to him as soon as his hands were free.

"I'm going to kiss you," Scorpius said.

"Good," Albus said. "I'm getting impatient."

Scorpius laughed a little, and then put one hand on Albus' head, pulling him gently inward until their lips met, the other arm snaking around Al's waist and pulling his body against his. Albus, kissing him, moved them backward until they found the big bed, tumbling backwards onto it. Scorpius ended up on top of him, kissing him wildly while practically straddling him.

"You're really turning me on, Scorp," Albus informed him, clearing his throat when they came up for air.

"Yeah? So what?" Scorpius said. "It's probably just as much as you turn me on, Al. It would be a bad sign if we weren't turned on by each other, don't you think?"

Albus nodded, looking up at him, his chest heaving. Scorpius smiled at his face, which was half grinning, half a little dumbstruck and awed. Scorpius decided to test his limits a little—his own, that is. And sort of Albus' too, he supposed. He slid one hand carefully up under Albus' t-shirt, feeling the hard, sculpted abdomen, fingers tracing the contours of the muscles. Albus, sighed, closing his eyes.

"I'm taking your shirt off," Scorpius informed him, seizing the hem of the t-shirt and pulling it up rapidly, Albus moving his arms up to help Scorpius' get it over his head. As usually, Scorpius felt a tight fire in himself as he took in the image of Albus shirtless: the perfect pecs and abs, the fact that there was no hair, save for the dark line of black extending downward from his navel, disappearing under the waistband of his jeans.

"You're so… hot…" Scorpius said, not sure what else to say. Albus laughed.

"I could say the same about you," he informed Scorpius.

Scorpius bent to kiss along Albus' collarbone, trailing his kisses down the smaller boy's skin. Albus shivered underneath him, and his arms developed goosebumps.

"Are you cold?" Scorpius asked him.

"Anything but," Albus said, reaching up to wrap his arms around Scorpius and pull him closer. He combed his fingers through Scorpius' hair.

"Good," Scorpius said, kissing his neck now, hands still exploring his chest.

"I have a question," Albus said, almost panting at this point. Scorpius smiled at him, pulling away to look down at them.

"Yeah?" Scorpius said, brushing his fingers through Albus' messy hair.

"Why am I the only one shirtless?" Albus demanded.

Scorpius chuckled and leaned away, peeling his shirt up over his head and tossing it to the floor with their coats.

"Much better," Albus said, nodding his approval. He reached up and seized Scorpius' shoulders, pulling Scorpius back down so that they were kissing again.

"You are the best thing that has ever happened to me," Scorpius informed him, locking eyes with Albus, their faces mere centimeters apart. Albus kissed him again, and then Scorpius moved his lips. He kissed along Albus' jaw, then back toward his ear, which he effectively kissed, making Albus squirm underneath him. Scorpius noted that for future use and slid his lips down Albus' neck, across his shoulders. Albus was kissing his neck too, furiously. Scorpius was shocked, though he knew he shouldn't be, to feel Albus' teeth slide across his skin, as well as his tongue.

"I'm glad we came back to the school," Albus whispered.

"Me too," Scorpius said, thinking that in a rational world, his arms would be getting tired by now, holding himself up, but… he never felt more awake, more aware, and so far from tired. Adrenalin and other hormones surged through his brain and body at lightning speed, sending tremors across his skin and heat through his blood. He felt himself shivering, even though he wasn't cold, and the very surface of his body tingled in the wake of Albus' kisses.

He felt alive. He'd been breathing for nearly eighteen years now, living, breathing, with a beating heart and swelling lungs. But for some reason, it felt like this was the very first day of his life. He was seeing everything differently, as if he'd just gotten glasses after years of poor eyesight, and feeling everything more deeply, and more truly. It wasn't skin deep anymore. It went beyond that, so far beyond that.

He quickly felt himself growing hard as Albus kissed him, and as he leaned into the kisses, he wasn't quite shocked—no, more like happy—to find that Albus was headed in the same direction. He leaned in, pressing their bodies closer together. Albus squirmed at the pressure and moaned softly…

"Scorp…" he said.

"Yeah?" Scorpius said, his breath rough now as he responded to his own name from Albus' beautiful, beautiful lips.

But then he felt pressure on his chest… Albus was pushing him away…

"What-?"

"Scorp, stop…"


	59. Beyond Ecstasy

_**Warning: Contains obscene amounts of fluff and mature content. :)**_

**Chapter 59.**

**Beyond Ecstasy**

"What?" Scorpius said. Albus looked up at him, trying to gather his wits and catch his breath all at the same time.

"What… what are we doing?" Albus said.

"Kissing," Scorpius said, sitting up. He leaned carefully away from Albus, moving away from him.

"Don't…" Albus said, reaching out. Scorpius smiled and kept the distance slight.

"What's wrong?" he asked Albus.

"I… I don't think we're ready to… shag. I mean, real shag," Albus said. "Like… shag where we actually have to worry about tops and bottoms and whatever…"

"Oh," Scorpius said. "I don't think we are either."

"You don't?" Albus said. He sighed in relief.

"No," Scorpius said. "I don't think so at all."

"Oh thank Merlin…" Albus said, laughing a little.

"However…" Scorpius said, causing Albus to raise an eyebrow at him.

"However what?" Albus questioned.

"I was wondering… if you would be opposed to a little… more physical contact…" Scorpius said. Albus could tell, as soon as he spoke, that he was feeling awkward.

"Oh…" Albus said. "No, I wouldn't be opposed… what exactly do you have in mind?"

"I mean a little more contact south of the equator," Scorpius said bluntly—so blunt that he, Albus noted, shocked himself, and instantly flushed crimson. But Albus just laughed.

"Come here," Albus said, opening his arms up for Scorp. Scorpius accepted, knocking Albus onto his back again. He looked up at Scorpius. "Sorry for my temporary freak out. I just needed to make sure we were on the same page."

"I love you," Scorpius said. "You're so wonderfully weird."

"I'm insulted," Albus said. "Don't dig yourself a hole—shut up and kiss me instead."

"I think I can do that," Scorpius said, smiling and kissing him again, effectively ending the conversation.

It took them less than a minute to get completely reinserted into the moment. They were invested completely, without second thought.

So Albus figured he would do exactly what he wanted at this point. He would try some new things out. He was definitely, _obviously _turned on by Scorpius. It was evident to all parties involved, he was certain.

He twisted an arm around Scorpius, pulling him closer so that there was very little space between them. Then he moved his hips up, creating pressure and friction in the same thrust.

Scorpius groaned in response, his movements become an equal reply.

"Oh Merlin…" Albus said, his whole body trembling in response to the newly discovered feeling. That was Scorpius… that was his cock. That was something Albus had always tried to picture, tried to imagine what it would feel like.

He moaned, wishing more than anything that he could just rip Scorpius' jeans off of him, but he wasn't sure if they were ready for that… It was… there were too many layers…

Albus felt Scorpius' labored, hot breath by his own ear, as Scorpius kissed him in rhythm with his movement. Scorpius moaned too, and the sound did nothing but make Albus press himself harder against Scorpius, rubbing the fronts of their jeans together now with more ferocity and more friction, and feeling and… He couldn't remember being this hard before…

He gasped.

Somehow, Scorpius had wormed his hand in between them, and now he was cupping Albus' cock gently with it, through his jeans. Albus whimpered.

"Shh…" Scorpius said against his ear, kissing him gently. "Is this okay?"

Albus couldn't do much more than nod. He was trying not come now and embarrass himself. And on top of that he desperately hoped that Scorpius was impressed by what he felt. He leaned instinctively toward Scorpius' hand.

Scorpius slid his hand gently up, reaching with one hand to undo the button on Albus' jeans. He slid open the zipper, and Albus felt much more comfortable. Scorpius smiled at him, kissing along his jaw carefully and then sliding his hand carefully through the open fly. Albus felt his heart start to skyrocket in his chest. This was _Scorpius._

When Scorpius took a gentle hold of him through his boxers, Albus had to bite his own lip, desperate not to come right there, all over Scorpius' hand.

"Does that feel good?" Scorpius asked quietly, pulling his hand carefully down Albus' length, still through the boxers.

Albus nodded, a shockingly high pitched noise resonating in the back of his throat. He cleared it. "Yes… oh Scorp…"

"I love you so much," Scorpius told him.

Albus moaned, Scorpius' name becoming slurred on his tongue. "I love you… _fuck." _

Scorpius kissed him on the lips, and then, his hot breath on Albus' neck, he moved his hand so that he was now inside of Albus' boxers, feeling bare flesh beneath his hand. Albus moaned again, more loudly this time.

It was the feeling of flesh, of Scorpius' hand, on him, on his penis that was unreal. It was perhaps the most glorious thing Albus had ever felt in his entire life. He couldn't imagine anything being better, except, maybe, the feeling of Scorpius' own cock against his, but he wasn't sure if they would get to that point before Albus literally made a mess of things.

"Feels so good…" Albus said, breathless.

"I'm glad," Scorpius said. "I want it to feel good. I want it to be the best thing you have _ever _felt."

"It is," Albus panted, trying to keep still and let Scorpius have his way, but he couldn't help but move his hips, thrusting gently, only slightly, in the direction of Scorpius' hand.

"Hey, try to hold still," Scorpius said, whispering sweetly. "Let me do this, Albus. I want to make you feel beyond ecstasy, Albus, beyond it."

"What about you?" Albus said, finding it possible, somewhere in his distraction, to worry about Scorpius getting to feel good too.

"Don't worry about me," Scorpius said. "We'll focus on you."

"But—" Albus started to protest, feeling guilty, but Scorpius silenced him with a ferocious, quick kiss.

"I love you," Scorpius informed him, sliding his hand carefully, slowly down Albus' penis, maintaining careful, painfully slow speed.

"Oh Scorpius…" Albus moaned.

-CD-

Scorpius bit his own lip, drinking in the words out of Albus' mouth, his own name resounding again and again—not only that, but in the most contented, seductive tone Scorpius could possibly imagine. Albus was worried about monopolizing the attention, but there was no problem. At this rate, Albus could simply speak to him and…

"Oh _fuck," _Albus moaned. "Go faster, please, please."

Scorpius smiled and kissed along Albus' neck. He couldn't do anything but comply. Not when Albus asked him. He would, he realized, most definitely give Albus everything he ever asked for, no matter what it was.

"Oh… ungh…" Albus reached up, wrapping his own fingers tightly into Scorpius' hair, braiding them in and clinching tightly.

"Does it feel good?" Scorpius wondered. "Am I doing okay?"

"So good…" Albus said. "Just… don't stop…"

"Good," Scorpius said. He leaned in to keep kissing Albus on the neck and chest, his hand still plunged in the Gryffindor's boxers.

"Scorpius!" Albus shouted, tightening his grip on Scorpius' hair as he came, and then dropping them, limp and lifeless at his sides, chest heaving. Both boys were messy, Scorpius from Albus, Albus from himself.

"Oh Merlin…" Albus said as Scorpius moved carefully away from him, still in quite an aroused predicament himself. He looked at his sticky hand and then over at Albus, who was still trying to catch his breath. Albus fumbled for his wand and muttered a few cleaning spells, directing one at Scorpius too.

Scorpius smiled, sliding himself closer to Albus again, wrapping his arms around him.

"That was…" Albus said softly, turning to rest his head against Scorpius' chest. "Thank you."

Scorpius chuckled. "You're welcome?"

"But…" Albus said, splaying his hand on Scorpius' bare chest. "What about you?"

Scorpius figured it was still pretty obvious that he wasn't thinking of dead cats or anything. The image in his head of Albus' face just moments before was not doing anything for his present situation. But it kept replaying in his head, over and over.

"I don't need anything," Scorpius said.

"Oh come on," Albus said. "We have all the time in the world. We shouldn't be focusing on me."

Scorpius sighed. "If you insist."

"You act like it's a great hardship on you," Albus said, sitting up slowly. "I'm not sure how well this is going to go…"

He reached out carefully, and as soon as his hand touched Scorpius, Scorpius groaned, closing his eyes.

Beyond ecstasy.

-CD-

"Mm… I'm so comfortable," Albus whispered, settled into Scorpius' side, nose near his neck.

"I am too…" Scorpius said. Both of them were still in their jeans, still shirtless, but curled up with each other, limbs wrapped around limbs, hooked around each other.

"I don't care about food or classes or anything but this," Albus said.

"Not even Quidditch?" Scorpius said.

"Ugh. Quidditch is a close second to this. Meaning I care about it, but if I had to choose…" Albus said.

"Well good thing it is impossible to stay here forever," Scorpius said. "As much as we don't care about it, food might become a necessity, and I suppose while we're on the quest for food you could play a little Quidditch."

"Sounds like a plan," Albus said, reaching up to put his hand on Scorpius' neck. "I love you."

"I love you too," Scorpius said. "So much."

Albus' stomach growled.

"Well listen to that," Scorpius said. "Maybe we should take a quick trip down to the kitchens? Dinner's over, we can bring everything back here, if you'd like."  
>"I don't want to move… but I suppose we probably should," Albus said.<p>

"Okay," Scorpius said. They slid to the edge of the big bed and stepped to the floor.

Albus sighed, smiling at Scorpius. "I'm really happy right now."

Scorpius smiled. He was glad Albus was happy. But there was more to it… He wished Albus didn't say "right now" with such emphasis, like the happiness could vanish at the snap of his fingers, as soon as the smoke and mirrors of love and lust faded and he was alone again. It made Scorpius never want to let go of him, to never let him out of his sight until he knew that Albus would be happy no matter what.

"I'm happy too," Scorpius said. "You have no idea."

"I know that was an interesting step forward…" Albus said. "I'm surprised how comfortable I was with it. I thought it'd make me freak out a little bit… but it didn't. I guess that just shows how meant to be this was, you know? It shows who I really am, I guess."

"Did you think you would be freaked out? Really?" Scorpius said.

"I don't know what I thought I was going to think," Albus said. "Pessimistic old me was ready for anything. I didn't even think about it, though. Like I said, it was just _right."_

Scorpius smiled. "It was right. I think you're right. Everything we do… it's right for me."

"It's right for me too," Albus said. "Believe me, I've never felt like I was doing something so right, in my entire life, than the first time I kissed you. Except for maybe flying a broomstick. Does that make any sense?"

"It makes a lot of sense," Scorpius said. "So much sense."

They walked down the corridors hand in hand, headed toward the fastest secret passageway that would get them all the way down to the kitchen.

Albus put his arm around Scorpius. And Scorpius could think of anything that made more sense, that felt more right, than that simple gesture.


	60. Six, Maybe Seven?

**Chapter 60**

**Six, Maybe Seven?**

"Happy birthday!" Albus said excitedly, waking up the entire Slytherin seventh year boys' dormitory. Kirk, on fairly decent terms with both of them, threw a pillow at Albus. Scorpius sat up though, laughing.

"What are you doing here?" he asked. "I thought you would already be at the Quidditch pitch."

"It's early yet," Albus said. "I thought you might like to have breakfast."

"Some people are trying to sleep," Max grumbled, rolling over and smushing his face in his pillow.

Albus laughed. "I'll go hang out with Scarlet in the common room while you shower."  
>"Scarlet's up already?" Scorpius said.<p>

"I think the real question is whether or not she actually went to bed at all," Albus said, turning and heading out of the common room.

It just so happened that Scorpius' eighteenth birthday fell on the day of the Ravenclaw-Gryffindor match. Albus was determined to do several things, the least of which was winning, but also making this the best day for Scorpius.

Owen was back. He hadn't done anything extreme, trying to worm his way back into the good graces of the Hogwarts staff and students. That didn't meant, however, that Albus and Scorpius were letting down their guard at all. They were cautious, avoiding him. He hadn't made any comments about Albus sleeping in the seventh year boys' dormitory, but Albus could see anger boiling under the surface of his skin every time they made the slightest semblance of eye contact.

But Albus was ignoring it. He was determined to have the best Quidditch match of his life, due to the numerous scouts from British and Irish League that were supposed to be there, for him, watching him and no one else play.

He figured in some way that ought to make him nervous. But it didn't. It was Quidditch, after all. It was what he knew best. He wasn't going to play like it was any different from any game he'd played before. It was the same game, and e was going to make sure his team won, as they were trained to do.

Ravenclaw had lost to Slytherin. Scorp's team had bludgeoned them on the pitch that day. Albus had to hand it to the Slytherin team. Under Scorpius as a captain, the Slytherin team was aggressive, but always played a fair, clean game.

"Ready?" Scorpius said, coming out of the dorm room wearing jeans and a gray sweater that was considerably less lumpy than the average Weasley sweater. He had his cloak and his green and silver scarf hooked over his arm.

"Ready," Albus said.

"Let's get some breakfast and then go down to the pitch," Scorpius said.

"Okay," Albus said.

"I'm very torn over who to cheer for," Scorpius explained on the way down.

"Huh?"

"My inner Slytherin is begging me to support Ravenclaw," Scorpius said. "However…"

"However, I figure you're supporting me," Albus said.

"Yes, I suppose I am," Scorpius said, smiling. "Of course I am."

-CD-

"Who's out there?" Rose asked Albus as he emerged from his office, fully robed and ready for the game.

"What do you mean?" Albus said, tucking his play book into pocket he affixed with magic to the inside of his robes.

"The scouts?" Rose said, the rest of the team looked up at those words.

"Montrose, Kenmare… Portree, er… Falmouth, Puddlemere and… Caerphilly. Chudley too, now that I think about it." Albus said.

"Six? Maybe seven?" Rose said. "Merlin."

"At least that's what Professor Longbottom was telling me," Albus explained.

"Wow…" she said. "Goodness."

"I know," he said. "I can't believe it…"

He turned to address the team. All of them were fully robed and ready too, their gloves on and brooms in their hands.

"All right, team," Albus said. "I hope you're ready for this. Ravenclaw has a good team. We all know it. But Slytherin beat them, and if we want to beat Slytherin, we have to make sure we can beat Ravenclaw. We've trained hard, working long hours for this. I know it's been cold and snowy at times, but we've got to make all of my torture worth it. Do exactly what we have practiced, talk to each other, play _with _each other and we should be more than fine to win this thing. Keep your heads up, don't worry about the sun, and just play. We've got this."

"Here, here!" Striker said and Fred nodded, waving his beater's bat in the air as agreement.

"Let's show them all what the Gryffindor team is honestly made of," Albus said.

He led the way onto the pitch in their typical formation. He walked up to the center of the pitch and waited as the Ravenclaw team approached from their end, headed by Lysander. Albus heard Rose scoff behind him. He wondered if this game could potentially end their relationship. Then he realized that he honestly didn't care, as long as they won.

Madam Croft stood between the two teams. Eva Finnigan was ready to commentate again.

"Captains, shake hands," Madam Croft said. Friends, Albus and Lysander didn't attempt to crush each other's bones. Their expressions simply communicated what they thought. Let the best man win.

"Today," Eva said. "Ravenclaw is captained by Lysander Scamander, in his second year of captaincy. Gryffindor is led by Albus Potter, who has been on the team for all seven years of his Hogwarts education, of which he has been captain for three.

"The Gryffindor team has been playing phenomenally this year," Eva said, biased commentary coming out, as always.

Albus kicked off from the ground, flying into the air. The Quaffle was up, the Snitch and Bludgers taking their own flight too. Albus looked away as Lily took the Quaffle and soared down the pitch. He shot up into the air and took to the sky to skim the pitch from above.

"And Lily Potter scores, ten points to Gryffindor," Eva said. "According to Professor Longbottom, that was a play designed by Albus himself."

-CD-

"Are those them?" Scorpius demanded, focusing his omnioculars on the stands where all of the teachers were. A line of unknown people sat in one of the rows, all of them dressed in different colors. Scorpius zoomed in. Each had the symbol of a different Quidditch team on their breast. "Merlin, that's them."

"Calm down," Scarlet said. "Don't watch the scouts. Watch the Quidditch game, Scorpius. You're just going to make yourself nervous…"

She reached up and pulled his omnioculars away.

"There sure are a lot of them," he said, shaking his head. "Six? Seven maybe?"

"Just watch Albus. If he looks into the crowd and sees you having a heart attack, he's just going to get nervous," she said. "Give him the support he needs, Scorpius."

"Lucy Weasley scores! Ten more points to Gryffindor. The score is now forty to ten."

Albus was amidst his team now, communicating strategy to them. It made Scorpius nervous when he wasn't on the lookout. Albus needed to see the Snitch; he couldn't let himself be distracted. But Scorp figured that Albus had it under control. He was the best Seeker Scorpius knew.

Albus looked up then, glancing around the crowd. He shot back into the air, skimming the surface of the game. He dipped lower, starting a crisscross wave pattern around the stadium. Scorpius followed his movements carefully, watching him, making note of his actions.

"He's good," Scorpius said. "Just watching him look for the snitch, you know he's good."

"I know he is," Scarlet said. "Look at his form. Some people just look more at home sitting on a broomstick than they could ever look walking across the floor. I bet if he had his way his feet would never touch the floor."

"Merlin he looks happy up there," Scorpius said. They were in the front row of the Slytherin stands. Nick was on the other side of Scarlet, talking to some of the guys from the team.

"I know," Scarlet said. "Goodness. His sister can really play too… bitch. Why is it in their blood?"

"Their father was the youngest Seeker in a century… and their mother was a Holyhead Harpie. That's why it's in their blood," Scorpius said. "Youngest Seeker in a century. Albus had to have been pretty close to beating that…"

"He didn't though," Scarlet said. "It's still in all of the books on Harry Potter, no annotations or addendums. No footnotes."

"I know," Scorpius said. "Hmm…"

"Don't they come out with a new Harry Potter biography every year or something like that?" she said. "It's because he's not dead. They have to keep adding on when he does some fancy auror thing. Or when his kids get jobs or blow their noses." She laughed. "I wonder if Albus get's annoyed with the partial limelight. I can't imagine being one of Harry Potter's kids. It has to grate after a while."

"Shh!" Scorpius said, pointing at the game. Albus had just done a fantastic bludger dodge, and Rose had blocked another shot from Ravenclaw. Her boyfriend was starting to get angry.

"And it looks as if Albus Potter has spotted the snitch!" Eva Finnigan shouted into the microphone.

Scorpius leaned forward, following Albus with his eyes.

"GO ALBUS!" he shouted as Albus began a nearly vertical drop, mirroring the angle of the side of the stands as he plummeted toward the ground, right where the base of the stands met the pitch grass, on the Gryffindor side, near the faculty tower.

He began to corkscrew, the Ravenclaw Seeker attempting to stay in his wake, but then Albus did a barrel roll, suddenly horizontal. He reached out with his left hand and scooped up the snitch. It had not, in fact, been at the ground level, but several feet up, flitting parallel to the drop Albus had made. The Ravenclaw Seeker spun out, tearing the canvas off the front of the tower, cursing.

"Albus Potter catches the snitch! That's the game folks. Gryffindor wins!"

Scorpius jumped up, shouting and cheering.

"That was an awesome game," Scorpius said.

"Final score, Gryffindor two hundred, Ravenclaw thirty," Evan Finnigan informed them all.

Albus landed on the ground, smiling, Snitch in his hand.

His team gave him hugs and appreciative pats on the back while Scorpius watched.

"That was such a good game," Scarlet said. "Come on, let's go down and see him, you know you want to."

"No," Scorpius said. "There's another group of people that he needs to talk to."

-CD-

"Hello again, Albus," Theo LaMotte said, holding out his hand to shake Albus'. He was the first of the line of scouts to make it down to the pitch.

"Hi," Albus said, grinning at him.

"You look like you might be a bit chilled from the wind. You ought to get a shower before you come out to talk to any of us."

"All right," Albus said, looking at the line of scouts.

"Yes, I second that," a ginger haired woman said, holding out hand. "Bianca Fremont, from Puddlemere United. Pleasure to meet you. That was one good game. But you go get showered."

"No one will be offended if I get warmed up?" Albus said.

"Not at all," one of the scouts, wearing a Falmouth Falcons hat said, shaking his head. "We will meet you in the Entrance Hall whenever you are ready, Mr. Potter."

"Okay," Albus said, nodding.

He headed to the locker room, to more cheers and congratulations from his team.

"Party in the common room, Al!" Fred said to him.

"After I talk to the scouts. Start without me! "Albus said. He was bubbling with excitement as he got into the shower in his office. He felt like he was on fire, he was so excited. Those scouts were all there for him, for him and no one else.

He grinned and got out of the shower, toweling himself off. He pulled on his jeans and a t-shirt and a Weasley sweater, stuffing his feet into his boots. The rest of the locker room was deserted when he got out, the team already headed to party.

He walked to the door, pulling his cloak on to brace the early spring chill. He pulled on the handle but the door wouldn't open. He got out his wand and tried unlocking it, breaking a seal of some sort. It still didn't open.

"I think we need to have a talk, Potter."


	61. An Invincible Bubble of Adrenalin

_**A/N: I forgot to wish everyone a Merry Christmas. I hope your holiday was wonderful and you got all you asked for! I finally got a new Order of the Phoenix book- I practically destroyed mine, having read it when I was eight... so it was good to get a new one!**_

**Chapter 61.**

**An Invincible Bubble of Adrenalin**

"Look, Owen, I honestly don't have the time for this," Albus said, pulling his wand out of his pocket. He almost laughed at himself then. Of all of the things to say, he picked, "I honestly don't have the time for this."

"I don't care, I think we have some things to go over," Owen said viciously. He was leaning against the lockers, arms crossed, wearing his Gryffindor scarf.

"Why don't we just establish that you're an arse and we all move on with our lives?" Albus said. He almost laughed again. He wanted to look down in shock and try to figure out when he grew a pair.

"You have no right to do the things you do, Potter," Owen said. "Getting me suspended, kicking me off the Quidditch team… you're a snitch. And you're a faggot."

Albus narrowed his eyes, trying to keep himself from rolling them. He was riding on a high—the high from the Quidditch win, the high from the multitude of scouts who had showed up to talk to _him. _Suddenly, he felt invincible, like even Owen—who, truth be told, was bigger than him, if not stronger—couldn't touch him.

"For one thing, I kicked you off the Quidditch team because you're an intolerant, unaccepting, ignorant prat. For another, I didn't get you suspended. You got yourself suspended when you nearly cracked my skull and set Scorpius' arm on fire. I didn't do anything."

"You provoked me!" Owen growled.

"Refresh me on how I did that," Albus said, twirling his wand in his fingertips.

"By… by being what you are!" Owen spat, raising his wand.

"And remind me how that affects you? I'm drawing a blank on how _my _life pertains to _you_ even in the slightest!"

"I don't want to witness the disgusting…" Owen trailed off, making a face. "It's repulsive."

"Owen, we were friends," Albus said. "You were a pretty good friend, actually. We've been friends since first year. What difference does it make now? How does this change who I was as a friend to you?"

Owen shook his head. "I don't want to be friends with someone like you."

"Well, based on who turned out to be, I can pretty much say without thought that the feeling is mutual… but Owen, you're not going to make it in the real world without being at least tolerant… You don't have to approve, but you ought to be a little more… tolerant."

"And you think you're going to make it being what you are? Like anyone will let you on their Quidditch team. No one wants to share a locker room with a faggot!" Owen snapped.

Albus sneered at him. "Tell that to Striker, who is a damn good beater, and a damn good bloke."

"Probably a queer just like you are," Owen said.

Albus wanted to yawn, but he didn't want to get his hand cut off with a spell, and it seemed that Owen was not really unwilling to go that far….

"So what if he is?" Albus said. "People in the Quidditch league are probably a lot more accepting than you would think. They don't care if a person is gay or straight or whatever—as long as they're a good Quidditch player. They want to win games. Not make a social statement."

"You really grate on me, Potter," Owen said.

"I'm sorry," Albus said. "You know, I'm actually not though. I'm just happy. I'm sick of you standing in the way of my happiness. It's annoying the fuck out of me. So just leave me alone Owen. I'm not bothering you."

"But you are," Owen said, raising his wand again; it had drifted lower during their verbal confrontation.

Albus flicked his wand and Owen's went flying, clattering to the ground by the entrance to the showers.

"Honestly, I'm annoyed as hell," Albus said, walking closer to Owen, his wand held level. He walked forward, wand pointed directly at Owen's throat.

He thought it was fairly menacing. Owen certainly knew how well Albus dueled. But as soon as Albus was close enough, Owen reacted, knocking Albus' wand out of his hand. It rolled across the floor, in the direction of the captain's office, and Albus lunged for it.

The force of Owen's weight knocked him to the ground, and he heard his wrist snap as he used it to catch himself on the tile floor. He stretched out for his wand, which wasn't too far from him, but Owen had a grip on him, and both of them were on the ground.

Owen flipped Albus over so that he was straddling him, pinning him to the floor. He drew back his fist, ready to smash it into Albus' face.

Albus decided to test his own audacity before the blow came. "You know, Owen, for someone who isn't a queer, you sure are in a sexy position with a bloke right now."

That temporarily froze Owen, who stared at him for a moment. And then he swung, Albus wriggled his good hand free, and managed to deflect the blow, catching it to the jaw instead of the eye. Despite the stress of the situation, Albus was finding that he still had all the adrenalin from his win to fuel him.

He rolled and managed to kick Owen away from him, scrambling for his wand again. This time, Owen grabbed his pantleg, sending him sprawling on his face, smashing his nose into the tile now. But he was in reach of his wand, and he had a hold on it, rolling onto his back to look up at Owen who was clambering into a sitting position. Albus flicked his wand, putting up a shield between them that Owen couldn't break though, no matter how hard he tried.

"You honestly have more problems than anyone I know," Albus said.

"So are we just going to stand here until the world ends Potter?" Owen demanded. "Because only I can bring down the charm holding the door shut."

Albus rolled his eyes. "You're big, brutish, ignorant and honestly _dumb."_

Owen raised a questioning eyebrow. Albus grumbled at the fact that Owen didn't have a scratch on him at this point.

Albus walked backwards, sidestepping carefully. He managed to turn both himself and Owen so that Albus' back was right at the door that led to the pitched. He turned the handle, finding it easily unlocked.

"Very thorough," Albus taunted him, knocking the door open. He dropped the shield, and Owen moved forward, hurrying for his wand. But Albus whipped his wand, using a spell of his own design. An invisible force delivered a blow with the force of a hit from a Bludger right at Owen's eye.

Leaving Owen clutching his face, Albus darted to the gateway the spectators used to enter the pitch. Cradling his mangled wrist and trying to stop the flow of blood from his nose with his robe—blood he didn't make note of before—he bolted to the castle.

-CD-

Scorpius was pacing. The scouts had glanced over at him once or twice, because he probably looked near an anxiety attack. But Albus hadn't shown up yet. He hadn't seen him since the end of the game, and if Albus knew there were scouts, he was not likely to dally.

Suddenly the doors to the Entrance Hall swung open, and Scorpius and every single one of scouts looked up expectantly. It was Albus that walked through the door—a proud victor Albus. But Scorpius and half of the scouts immediately converged on Albus, for he was covered in blood.

"Well this is embarrassing," Scorpius heard Albus exclaim as they all approached. Scorpius beat all of them to him.

"What's wrong?" Scorpius demanded. "What happened?"

"Nothing I couldn't handle," Albus said. "If everyone could excuse me for a moment, I need to clean up, really quick, I'm sorry to keep you all waiting."

All of the scouts stared, stunned, as Albus darted to a side door, opening to the same room where Scorpius and Albus once hid from Natalia.

"What happened?" Scorpius demanded again, getting out his wand and filtering the blood away from Albus' nose.

"Owen," Albus said. "But it's not a big deal right now, I need to talk to the scouts."

"Look at me," Scorpius commanded. Albus' nose appeared to be broken, and his eye was a little black because of it.

"Fix it?" Albus suggested, siphoning the blood from his robes. Scorpius noted he wasn't using one of his arms at all.

"Hold still," Scorpius commanded, pointing his wand at Albus' nose. "_Episkey."_

Albus winced as the nose snapped back into shape, then he wrinkled it and nodded. "Okay… my black eye… well I'll just look renegade, I suppose…"

"And your arm?" Scorpius questioned.

"Nothing," Albus said. "A little sore."

He hid it from view behind his back.

"Were you physically fighting with him?"

"We both managed to lose our wands," Albus said. "He'll be coming in soon. Black eye, I'm sure. He kept tripping me, which is how I got most of this…"

"Albus… you can't go out talking to the scouts like this…" Scorpius said.

"No… I have to," Albus said. "It's not a big deal."

"Show me your arm," Scorpius said.

Albus held out his arm, and Scorpius took it carefully. The hand was hanging limply, and the wrist had swelled to about twice the size.

"Al…" Scorpius said. "You need to go to Madam Tolomei. I don't want to test my abilities on your arm… nose is one thing…"

"Can't we save the drama of this whole thing until after I've changed my entire future?" Albus said. "Please? I'll be careful."

Scorpius said. "This is going too far against the grain… but fine. Look all _devil-may-care_ if you must. Think of a good excuse for it."

Albus snorted, but smiled. "Don't worry, I'm fine."

"You're on an invincible bubble of adrenalin," Scorpius contradicted. "But it's better than nothing. Go get some contracts, Al."

Scorpius kissed him quickly and then followed a much cleaner Albus out of the side room.

"Sorry," Albus said, smiling at the sponsors. "Had a little run in with a stuck locker. Blasted it open with my wand and it got me right in the face." Scorpius could see he was desperately trying not to look like an idiot.

Albus led the sponsors to a classroom to talk, Scorpius watching after them. He watched as Albus struggled to get his cloak off with one hand. Scorpius shook his head, groaning and putting his hand on his forehead. Albus, sometimes, was going to be the death of him.

He leaned against the wall, taking a few calming breaths.

The giant oak doors swung open again, startling Scorpius. Owen stormed through them, sporting a hideously swollen black eye and wincing in pain as he walked.

"Hey," Scorpius said to him, stopping him in his tracks. "Matthews."

Owen looked up, reaching quickly for his wand. Before he had it out, Scorpius had Owen pinned against the wall of the Entrance Hall, five feet above the marble flooring, with a simple spell. Scorpius looked calmly up his wand at Owen, who was glowering at him, of course.

"Let me down, queer," Owen spat.

"Don't you fucking touch him again," Scorpius said. "You think I'm joking, but I swear to Merlin if you lay a finger or a wand or anything on him again… I will not let you forget it, Matthews. He has never done anything to you. _I've _never done anything to you. Not until this moment. You have no idea how much I want to give you a concussion right now."

Owen sneered at him. "Why don't you run along and snog your girlfriend, Malfoy. This doesn't concern you."

"Yes it does," Scorpius said. "You've been targeting Albus and me for the longest time. And if it concerns me, it concerns Albus. If it concerns Albus, it concerns me."

He broke the charm, and Owen fell off the wall. He hit his head on an unlit sconce on the way down, and it knocked him out. Once Scorpius checked his breathing, he simply walked away, letting him sit there, hopefully concussed, though certainly not intentionally concussed.


	62. The Inexcusible Behavior of the Inhuman

_**A/N: *awkward laughter*... so um... I didn't die. Here's the next chapter. Sorry it took so long... I have excuses... they're not great excuses (I got really, really into my non-fanfic work, and it consumed my life... I guess that's only one excuse). Well... Happy Late New Year! Enjoy. **_

**Chapter 62**

**The Inexcusible Behavior of the Inhuman **

Albus watched at the last scout he was talking one-on-one with walked out of the classroom.

"See you soon, Albus," Theo LaMotte said, giving him a wave.

Albus waved with his good arm and collapsed against his chair, in absolute awe.

The door opened again, and Scorpius slid his way in.

"What's the verdict?" Scorpius wondered, taking the seat Theo had just vacated.

"There were seven," Albus said. "Montrose, Kenmare, Caerphilly, Falmouth, Puddlemere, Chudley, and Portree."

"Yes, I counted them," Scorpius said.

"Falmouth and Kenmare were interested in just talking with me for the first time," Albus said. "Caerphilly, Chudley and Portree told me they definitely have a place for me on their team."

"And Montrose and Puddlemere?" Scorpius questioned.

"They said they need me to come to their stadiums so we can go over contracts, in order for me to train for a year as their reserve Seeker, and take over in a year, when both of their Seekers are set to retire. A year, Scorpius. And from what I gathered, something similar, though with a few more years between now and playing first string, is coming from Caerphilly, Chudley and Portree."

"Oh Merlin…" Scorpius said. "Albus, that's great."

"I'm going to be a Quidditch player," Albus said, laughing loudly. "I… no matter what now, I'm going to be a professional Quidditch player."

"Who are you going to sign with?" Scorpius wondered, taking Albus' hand.

"It sort of comes down to money at this point," Albus said. "I need to be able to live… but at the same time… it would be easy to just sign with Montrose or Puddlemere now, because I know I'll be playing first string in a year, and I know I won't be starving—being the Seeker of a professional Quidditch team practically guarantees me a house and a life, and food and… Oh Merlin, this is the best thing that has ever happened to me."

"That's so great, Albus," Scorpius said. "Now… I'm not trying to dampen the celebration here but… your arm has swelled up like a balloon at this point. I think we need to get you to the hospital wing…"

Albus looked down at his arm. Scorpius was right. His wrist had ballooned up over the past hour or so. He was so high on life that he didn't even feel it. It _looked _like it should hurt, but it didn't. It looked like it should hurt a whole hell of a lot. But there was nothing. He supposed he would probably feel it later.

"You might be right," Albus said.

"You should have seen the amount of self restraint it took to not kill Owen Matthews," Scorpius said thoughtfully as he and Albus headed out into the corridor.

"What did you end up doing to him?" Albus said. "I know you did something. The look on your face told me you were going to break his face."  
>Scorpius laughed. "He ended up unconscious, but that's only because he hit his head on a wall sconce when he fell after I pinned him high up on the wall. He was already pretty beat up from your handiwork. He was limping and his eye was swollen shut."<p>

"Good. I'm glad that I did some damage," Albus said. "He deserved it. I was being a bit snarky, though. You should have heard some of the things I was saying. Much more empowered than my usual."

Scorpius laughed. "You're superhuman with these thrill riding talents of yours. Add in a little adrenaline, and you're ready to take down Voldemort."  
>"I wouldn't go that far," Albus said. "Besides, luckily, my father has already taken care of that. Show off."<p>

Scorpius laughed. "My father was a Death Eater. You have it good."

"I know I do," Albus said. "And besides, now I get to do something he never did—youngest Seeker in a century plus, he may be. But he never played professional. Granted, he didn't quite need to, what with the whole defeating Voldemort and being an auror thing… but still. He never did this."

"No, he didn't," Scorpius agreed. "I'm so proud of you, Albus."

"Come on," Albus said. "I think I need Madam Tolomei to fix my wrist. I heard it snap. Doesn't hurt too bad, I guess."

Scorpius snorted, shaking his head and grabbing Albus' cloak for him.

"They're going to make a big to-do about it," Albus said. "I'll probably get a detention."

"So will I," Scorpius said. "I'm sure they've found Owen by now, and I'm sure they've brought him around. It's a good thing they trust me not to do anything crazy without decent justification."

Albus nodded, looking at his wrist, which had turned a purple-reddish color and was about two and a half times the size of the other one.

"There you are!" Professor Higgs said, followed by Professor Longbottom. The two professors were heading down the corridor, clearly looking for Albus and Scorpius.

"Owen Matthews says you're responsible for him being in the hospital?" Higgs accused Scorpius. There wasn't any note of punishment, nor did he seem to think that Scorpius hadn't been justified in his actions, even if he, the professor, didn't know the exact reasons behind them.

"Well, he's responsible for this," Albus said, holding up his arm carefully. "He and I got into a bit of a scrap in the locker rooms after the Quidditch came. I take full responsibility for his swollen eye and limping leg."

The two professors looked at their students curiously.

"Why?" Professor Longbottom asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well… he was confronting me—all about my being a homo, queer, or faggot… take your pick… and I put my wand to him, and he knocked me to the ground. And we had a physical fight before wands were even involved. He broke my nose too, but Scorpius fixed it."

"And then Owen came in, after I'd seen Albus in the state he was in… and I decided to give him a piece of my mind while Albus talked to the scouts," Scorpius said.

"How did that go, by the way?" Professor Longbottom wondered.

Albus chuckled. "Looks like I'll be playing professional Quidditch."

"That's great, Albus!" Professor Longbottom said, patting him on the shoulder. But Professor Higgs cleared his throat. "Right…" They were teachers after all.

"Well… thank you for being honest," Professor Higgs said. "I think we ought to move this conversation to the Hospital Wing so that Madam Tolomei can check out your wrist, Albus. We can settle this matter once we are there."

Professors Higgs and Longbottom walked two of their favorite students—the Head Boy and the star athlete of the school—up to the hospital wing. Owen was lying on a bed, looking a lot more miserable than he probably was. Madam Tolomei and Professor Thomas were both asking him questions. The nurse's were purely medical, while the headmaster seemed concerned for every other aspect of the situation.

'Ah!" he said. "Mr. Potter, Mr. Malfoy, there you are."

"Albus was talking to scouts, just as I said he would be," Professor Longbottom said. "It looks like he's going to be playing professionally."

"That's phenomenal, Albus," Professor Thomas said, nodding approvingly. "We have a few things we need to talk about, however…"

"First, the nurse needs to check Albus' arm," Scorpius said, interjecting even over the voice of the headmaster. Albus was shocked at his deliberate cutting off.

"Let me see," Madam Tolomei said. She clicked her tongue as she looked at Albus' arm. "And when did this happen?"

"Right after the match…" Albus admitted, knowing he was going to get scolded.

"You should have come straight here. Wouldn't you think that most scouts would understand an athlete wanting to make sure he's not permanently and irreversibly injured?"

Albus wanted to make a comment about how they lived in a society where they could regrow bones. He was pretty sure that the only irreversible injury was being bitten by a werewolf or dying.

She dragged him over and made him sit on a bed and pull his t-shirt off so she could get the Healing done more efficiently. While she examined him to make sure she wouldn't hurt him by doing things traditionally, Albus and Scorpius went through their version of the story for Professor Thomas and the heads of their houses. Owen tried to interject, but Professor Thomas informed him he ought to keep his mouth shut so that everyone could get their words in.

"All right," Professor Thomas said when Albus' wrist was a little sore, a little swollen, but completely healed, and of course, after they had all finished their stories.

"Well," Professor Longbottom said. "It's up to you, Professor."

Professor Higgs nodded his agreement.

"Well… I'm sorry to say I don't believe that Albus would have attacked you unprovoked, Owen. We can do a Veritaserum test, if you feel that would prove things for you." Professor Thomas turned back to the other side of the hospital wing.

Owen glared. "You shouldn't bother."

Professor Thomas nodded. "That's what I thought. You mean to say that you provoked Albus."

"Yes," Owen said. "Yes, fine. I called him all of those things. I did. I don't care. That's how I feel."

Professor Longbottom looked like he was going to go off on Owen, but he held his tongue.

Professor Higgs, however, was not so contained.

"You cannot tell me you're a seventeen-year-old, eighteen-year-old, whatever," Higgs spat, losing his cool completely. "Personal opinions aside, you don't have the common decency to hold your tongue? What difference in your life does it make to you if either of these boys is not straight? How does that affect you? I'm not saying you have to be friends with them, or believe anything other than what you believe. I'm simply saying that you ought to be a respectful person, a human being, for Merlin's sake. Why would you pick this to create a vendetta against? This isn't your life. Keep your opinions to yourself. Be accepting, be human, and be respectful to someone who once was your friend."

Everyone stared at him. Professor Thomas had a bit of a smile on his face, and so did Professor Longbottom. Scorpius was grinning ear to ear. Everyone was in shock.

"Excuse me," Professor Higgs said. "I apologize." He cleared his throat.

"Do you think we can give him a round of applause?" Scorpius wondered, whispering the question in Albus' ear. Albus chuckled.

"I for one agree with Professor Higgs," Professor Thomas said. "I think this is your second offense in this same area. I will discuss with your head of house exactly what I think ought to be done, Mr. Matthews. In order to not exacerbate any disagreement, if it's alright with Madam Tolomei, I would like for Mr. Malfoy and Mr. Potter to leave now."

"That's fine," Madam Tolomei said. "Be careful with your wrist, Albus."

"I will," Albus said, nodding as he stood up and fumbled for his shirt, pulling it over his head. He grinned as Scorpius looked upset that Albus wasn't going to walk shirtless down the hall with him.

"Thank you," Scorpius said to Professor Higgs.

"Of course," Professor Higgs said.

"So…" Scorpius said as they walked out of the room. "Room of Requirement."

"Yeah," Albus said. "I think that's a good idea."

Scorpius put his arm around him. "You know, you terrified me when you walked into the Entrance Hall this afternoon."

"I'm sorry," Albus said. "I really am."

"You looked like someone had tried to kill you," Scorpius said, smiling at him.

"I don't know… Owen never would've killed me, I don't think," Albus said.

"You looked like he gave it his best shot," Scorpius said.

"Yeah… but I most likely got a Quidditch deal. My day is a cloud of bliss anyway…"


	63. Connecting the Dots

**Chapter 63.**

**Connecting the Dots**

"Oh Merlin!" Albus said as they walked down the corridors, heading from the infirmary to the Room of Requirement.

"What?" Scorpius said, looking around, startled.

"I completely forgot it's your birthday!" Albus said. "I'm a horrible person." He put his hand on his forehead and shook it several times, as if trying to bring himself back to reality.

Scorpius laughed. "Not a big deal. You had more important things on your mind. Quidditch offers, for one thing."

"We'll celebrate for dinner," Albus said. "We'll go down to the kitchens after everyone else has eaten and we'll celebrate."

"Okay," Scorpius said, laughing. "Is it almost dinner?"

"I dunno," Albus said. "I have no idea what time it is. I left my watch upstairs for the match… And I left your present there too!"

"It's okay," Scorpius said. "Give it me later. We both need to relax a little. It's been a tense day, on so many accounts."

"I love you," Albus said as they approached the area where they would get entrance to the Room of Requirement.

"Yeah?" Scorpius said. "I love you too. I think you knew that."

"I did," Albus said, grinning at him. They walked in front of the required spot, thinking about what they needed—it was the same as always. A place to be together, a place to be undisturbed, a place where they could be comfortable without having to worry.

"Come here," Scorpius said, once they were through the door. He put his arms around Albus tightly, burying his nose into Albus' neck. He sighed happily. "I really, really love you."

Albus grinned, sliding his arms around Scorpius too. "If someone told you on your seventeenth birthday, that within a year you would be standing here… with anyone, me, doesn't matter… _anyone… _what would you have said?"

"I would have shaken my head and laughed at them," Scorpius said. "I would have thought that they were absolutely crazy. And if they had said that it would be you standing here with me… I would have probably thought they'd put some sort of hex on me to make me laugh—I would have been rolling on the floor so hard."

"And yet… here we are," Albus said. "A little worse for wear in some ways… but we're here."

"Yeah…" Scorpius pulled away just a little so that he could smile down at Albus. "And I can't imagine it any other way."

Albus frowned temporarily. "Can I talk to you about something?"

"Yeah…" Scorpius said. "Of course…" The expression on Albus' face, no longer smiling, more concerned, put nothing but anxiety into Scorpius. He pulled Albus over to the large bed in the middle of the room and the two of them climbed up on it, Scorpius squeezing Albus' hand tightly. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong," Albus said. "I just have a… question? I'm not sure if that's the right word…"

"No, I'm sure it is," Scorpius said, smiling. "What is it?"

"I just… you know how sometimes I get a little… down?" Albus said. "Like earlier this year? Only more random… like recently. Sometimes it hits me like a ton of bricks for a day or so… and then I just feel bad… I don't even know what I feel bad about. All I know, recently, is that you're the sort of bright spot I have that lifts me out of all that… but it still happens Scorp."

"I know it does," Scorpius said. "And I'm glad you're acknowledging it. It worries me all the time, Albus."

"That's what I want to say…" Albus said. "I don't want you to waste your time worrying about me. Scorpius, if we said right now that we were going to be together for the rest of our lives, would you stop and think about it? About what sort of chance there is that I will have a hard time sometimes… this sort of thing doesn't go away, I know it doesn't. I might feel like this on occasion for the rest of my life… And it's not fair to you—to make you worried about me all the time. Not if you don't want to be. I know, I know… we shouldn't make plans for forever now… it's just… I want you to make sure you know what you could be getting yourself into…"

"Albus…" Scorpius said.

"And I would rather you end it now, when I'm having one of the best days of my life, than for you to wait until you realize that this isn't what you want. I wanted to give you fair warning—"

"Albus, shut up," Scorpius said. "You're being crazy. I don't care. I mean… I do care… but not in the sense you're afraid of. I love you. It's because I love you that I worry—and it's _not _a waste of my time. And we damn well could be together for the rest of your lives, and I don't want you counting anything out. I'm planning on it! I don't care that we're eighteen. I love you. It is fair to me if I _want _to worry about you. I want to look out for you, and protect you and do everything in my power to make you happy. I know exactly what I'm getting myself into, and I'm excited about it!"

"But what if one day, I'm just feeling so bad that you can't make me happy?" Albus said. "I know I'll love you… but what if you don't… I don't know…"

"Why are you worried about this?" Scorpius demanded. "Don't worry. And that whole 'I'd rather you end this thing…?' Have you been experimenting with some of those brain addling potions they sell on the sly in Knockturn Alley? Is this the adrenaline talking? This is what I want, and I don't need a warning. I want this. I want you. And everything that comes with you—good or bad, beautiful or ugly… I want it all."

Albus smiled. "Really?"

"Yeah," Scorpius said. "Merlin. Am I that bad at showing you how much I care about you?"

"No," Albus said. "I'm too irrational to connect any dots."

Scorpius shook his head, sliding closer to Albus and putting an arm around him. "Irrational huh?

"Sometimes irrationality is a good thing," Albus insisted.

"Sometimes, yes," Scorpius said. "Besides, it's not like I mind connecting the dots for you."

"Good," Albus said. "Sometimes I need help."

"That's what I'm for," Scorpius said, squeezing his hand.

-CD-

"Food," Albus said, his face practically in a pillow.

"Bloody transfiguration laws," Scorpius said.

They were sprawled on the bed, simply lying there, arms around each other. Nothing more. It was perfect.

"My stomach's growling," Scorpius said.

"I know, me too," Albus said.

"Merlin…" Scorpius said.

They slid away from each other, getting down.

"I'm starving," Albus said.

"Me too," Scorpius agreed, taking his hand. Albus yawned and stretched with his other arm, then grinned, shaking his head.

"We can go up to my dormitory and get you your present from me," Albus said.

"I'm wondering if we're still going to get out of the whole conflict of the day without repercussions. Do you think we'll get a detention?" Scorpius wondered.

"What, never had one of those?" Albus teased him.

"You know that's not true," Scorpius said, rolling his eyes. "Didn't you and Rose used to try to get me into detention?"  
>"Ask me no questions and I'll tell you no lies," Albus said, giving him a sideways grin.<p>

"I'll take that as a yes," Scorpius said, shaking his head. "I spent my fair share of time in detention. But I don't think the most perfect, well-behaved people should be prefects and head boys…"

"They made me a prefect and I take after my father and his father," Albus said, snorting.

"Exactly," Scorpius said. "Rose on the other hand…"

"She got just as many detentions as I did because we usually were partners in crime," Albus said.

"Ah hem." Albus turned at the sound of the fake cough behind him.

"Speak of the devil," Albus said. "HI Rose."

"The devil huh?" she said, waltzing over to them. "Hello."

"Hi," Albus said.

"I was just wondering… based on the long line of scouts waiting to talk to you… why on earth haven't I seen you to know if you're going to be famous or not," Rose said. She planted her hands on her hips, greatly resembling her mother, Hermione, and then in turn, Nana Weasley. Even though Aunt Hermione and Nana didn't share an ounce of blood, they definitely shared more than a few ounces worth of scolding looks.

"Uh…" Albus said. "I'm sorry."

"As you should be," she said. "So…?"

"So..." Albus went through the same run down of all the offers that he had given to Scorpius too. As a trio, they continued to walk down the stairs, trying to reach the entrance hall before they headed to the kitchen.

When he was done, Rose squealed and launched herself at him to give him a tight—slightly rib-cracking, if he was being honest—hug.

"I'm so proud of you and happy for you," Rose said.

"I second that," Scorpius said, smiling.

"Happy Birthday," Rose said to him, freezing as if she'd just remembered this, and it was very important.

Scorpius laughed. "Thanks, Rose."

"There's more though, Rose," Albus said.

"More?" she said. "Merlin, I can't even imagine what you could mean by more."

"This has to do with Owen," Albus explained, continuing the story. He allowed Scorpius to fill in his part, where he knocked Owen unconscious.

"I wouldn't be surprised if they expel him," Rose said.

"For something like this?" Scorpius questioned. "They're mad at him Rose, but they're not that mad…"

"I dunno… they take a lot of stock in the opinions of Harry Potter, and probably put up with your father's influence too," Rose informed Scorpius.

"Ugh, you don't think they told our parents do you?" Albus groaned. "I hope they didn't leave out the part where I held my own."

"I'm sure they told both your parents," Rose said. "You're crazy for thinking they wouldn't… especially since…"

"Especially since what?" Scorpius demanded.

"Well… when we were having dinner, where you were both mysteriously missing in action, we had a visitor." Scorpius looked at her confused. Then he looked at Albus who gave him a look that he hoped was just as confused as the one he had received.  
>"You don't need to be cryptic, Weasley," Scorpius said, and Albus could see him getting nervous as, in his head, he ran through all the possibilities of who could possibly have dropped in for a visit while they had been upstairs.<p>

They continued down another flight of stairs, with Rose refusing to tell them anything. She claimed that they ought to see who had come to visit instead of her telling them. Albus was getting the impression that she had been sent to find them now, and that if she had told either of them who was there, there was only a slim chance that they would have kept walking with her.

"Someone told you to come hunt us down," Albus assumed.

"Yes," Rose said. "I know you were probably in the Room of Requirement. And I figured, if that's where you were, you would probably get hungry at some point, so I intercepted your pathway to get you to come down here with me."

At that point, they stepped down off the last step, into the Entrance Hall. Both Albus and Scorpius looked ahead of them now, scanning the almost empty space. Almost. Scorpius froze in his tracks and Albus squeezed his hand. The responding grip was painful, squeezing into Albus' fingers who was the expert in death glares. She cowered a little, like she was actually afraid. Then she locked eyes with Albus. Her own eyes clearly said "Behave, be nice, let this happen." Albus nodded rubbing his thumb kindly in the back of Scorpius' hand, around one of his knuckles.

"Hello, Scorpius," Draco Malfoy said.


	64. Of Love, Family, Hats and Muggles

**Chapter 64.**

**Of Love, Family, Hats and Muggles**

"What are you doing here?" Scorpius demanded, dropping Albus' hand and walking toward his father. He wasn't trying to be demanding or rude. He was in shock, awe, and honestly a little—a lot—worried.

"I came to see you on your birthday," his father said. "Is that a crime?"

"Um… it's not normal," Scorpius said. "Did Mum come with you?"

"No," Draco said. "It's just me."

"Okay…" Scorpius said.

"I need to talk to you," his father informed him.

"I was just about to have dinner—I haven't eaten yet," Scorpius said.

"We'll have dinner together," his father declared.

"No," Scorpius said. "I was going to have dinner with Albus…"

"It's okay," Albus said.

"We can all have dinner," Scorpius' father suggested. "Come on. Professor Higgs said he would have the elves make something for me. Whatever you would like, Scorpius. We can eat in the staff room, which Professor Thomas said we could make use of."

"Albus… do you want to have dinner with my father?" Scorpius said. He hoped that Albus would say no, but he knew that Albus wouldn't. It was just the way it was going to be.

"It's okay," Albus said. "Whatever you want to do."

"Fine," Scorpius said. "We'll have dinner with you, Dad. If you're taking orders, I want roast beef and mashed potatoes."

Draco nodded and Scorpius walked over to Albus, taking his hand again.

"Are you sure?" Albus asked, looking down at their hands.

"More than," Scorpius whispered, squeezing tightly. "I want him to know me for who I am, and if he has a problem with it… well I wouldn't give a fuck." He leaned in and kissed Albus on the cheek. When he looked back, his father was watching them, but Scorpius didn't mind. This was exactly who he was.

"Okay," Albus said, squeezing his hand back. They headed with Draco to the staff room, Scorpius nervous. He couldn't understand why his father would be here, or why he had come. It didn't make sense. His parents never visited him unless they had to. It was annoying if parents visited their children, and even Scorpius' mum understood that.

They went into the staff room, which was empty, and sat down. Scorpius and Albus took one side of the table, and Draco sat on the other.

"So, how are you?" Draco asked.

"I am fine," Scorpius said.

"I don't believe you," Draco said. "Professor Higgs was telling me about some sort of conflict…"

"It is unimportant," Scorpius said. "I promise you that the conflict has been handled."

"Scorpius, why do people keep doing this to you?" his father demanded. "You an Albus both?"

"It is not anything we are doing! Or not doing!" Scorpius said. "All of it is from those blatantly ignorant arses…"

"I don't understand it," Draco said.

"Explain that to me," Scorpius said. "I would think you would understand. I am the only person in this room who saw what your face looked like when I told you that I am gay…"

"Scorpius…" his father said.

"Dad, it kills. Your face said that I had ruined everything for you. All I wanted was for you to tell me that it was okay. I might be grown up now, Dad, but it matters to me. I wanted you to tell me that it did not matter to you who I was. Because I am your son and you love me. But you said nothing. You simply sat there and said nothing."

"Scorpius…" his father said. "It took me a few moments to wrap my head around it."  
>"Moments?" Scorpius said. "Months is more like it."<p>

"Okay…" his father said. "I deserve that."

Scorpius nodded. "Before you say anything else… I just want to tell you… That I am happier than I have ever been in my entire life. I am happy with who I am and what I have in my life—who I have in my life. I'm in love, and I'm content… And I want you to know that. Because maybe that will change how you feel. To know that I wouldn't have it any other way. This won't hurt me at all, Dad. This is what I want, and I'm willing to overcome any hurdles, if it means I can be this happy for the rest of my life."

Albus smiled next to him, a slight smile. But Scorpius couldn't help but smile back as his father absorbed everything slowly.

"It makes me very happy to hear you say that," Draco said. "I owe you more apologies than I could ever give you, Scorpius. I'm very, very sorry for the way I have acted. I was shocked, and I was scared—especially for you. I was worried. I didn't want this for you, Scorpius. No parent wants this for his child. Still, that is no excuse for the way I acted. You are my son, and I love you and I should not have been cold and distant as I was. And should not have taken this long for me to apologize to you."

Scorpius looked up at him.

"And I just want you to know that I am okay with this," his father said. "I am happy if you're happy. I'm not ashamed of you. I am proud of you. You know I'm proud of you. How could I not be? I love you, Scorpius."

"I love you too, Dad," Scorpius said. "I really do. Thank you for saying this. I know it was hard for you."

"It wasn't hard for me," his father said. "It was overwhelming to find this out. I was surprised. Your mother wasn't, but I was. And then… I thought this was the worst thing, Scorpius—not because it would make my life harder, but because it would make yours. I know there is still a stigma attached to the Malfoy name, and I was afraid that this would hurt you on top of that. Combining this with the black mark of my name… I was afraid it would make walls. Walls that are impossible to get over."

"I can handle it," Scorpius said. "I have to. I will."

Albus squeezed his hand, and Scorpius turned to smile at him.

"Dad, you know Albus, of course," Scorpius said.

"I do," Draco said, nodding.

"Yeah, well I want you to know that this is why I'm happy," Scorpius said. "Our relationship."

"I'm glad," his father said, smiling. "I really am, Scorpius. I hope you can forgive me."

"You are my father after all," Scorpius said.

"Which makes all that I did even more inexcusable…" Draco said, shaking his head.

"I forgive you," Scorpius said. "I really do."

"But what is this that I hear about some prat named Owen Matthews?" Draco wondered, changing the subject.

"Oh Merlin," Scorpius said. "It's nothing…"

-CD-

Scorpius headed to his dormitory to get a change of clothes while Albus headed up to the Gryffindor tower to do the same, and to grab Scorpius' present as well.

Scorpius pushed into the common room, passing Scarlet and Nick who were scarring first years, lying completely horizontal on one of the couches, eating each other's faces. He headed to his dorm room. Max was sprawled on his bed, looking at something in a book.

"Hey," Scorpius greeted him.

"Hi," Max said, looking up. He grinned. "That was a good game, don't you think?"

"I think so," Scorpius said.

"I think Kirk is looking for you," Max said. "It's not anything bad, I don't think."

"Good," Scorpius said. "I can't handle bad right now."

"I heard about what happened with Owen," Max said. "He deserved it. People are aresholes, Scorp. But I don't get their problems. You've always been a good friend to me."

Scorpius stopped digging in his trunk for a moment, looking up at Max. He was thinking about this past year in school, and how he never really talked to the kid that had been one of his best friends for the other six years.

"Except this year," Scorpius said. "I've sort of been… absentee in the friend circle."

"I think you had other things on your mind," Max said. "No hard feelings."

"So why aren't you out hanging with everyone?" Scorpius said. "It's a Saturday night."

"Just thinking about my girl," Max explained.

Scorpius narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. He hadn't known that Max had a girl, any sort of girl.

"You wouldn't know her," Max said. "She doesn't go to Hogwarts."

"Oh…" Scorpius said.

"I haven't told anyone here about her," Max explained. "I don't know if they would get it."

"What wouldn't they get?" Scorpius wondered.

"She's a Muggle," Max explained. "But I love her. I told her everything. I couldn't keep it to myself, once I met her. You know how it is though… this is Slytherin after all, no matter if some of the stereotypes go away. She's a Muggle. I shouldn't be interested. So I don't tell people."

"I know a lot about being interested in people I shouldn't be interested in," Scorpius said.

"Love is love," Max said, simply, holding out a picture. Scorpius got up from crouching by his trunk, taking the picture from his friend. The girl in the still picture, even Scorpius couldn't deny it, was extremely beautiful.

"Wow," he said, passing the picture back. "What's her name?"

"Vanessa," Max said, putting the picture back in between the pages of the book and closing it. "But you get it, don't you?"

"I do," Scorpius said. "If she makes you happy, it doesn't matter if she's a muggle. Like you said, love is love, no matter what."

"No matter what," Max agreed.

Scorpius hoped he could remind himself about how good a friend Max had always been to him. They were the sort of people, like him and Scarlet, who had bonded from the first day. They were friends, dorm mates, the kind of friend that Scorpius could be a bloke with. Max was everything Scarlet couldn't be.

"Well… I gotta go," Scorpius said. "More birthday celebrating, you know."

"Yeah. Happy birthday, mate," Max said.

-CD-

Albus looked nervously down at the package in his hands. He hoped Scorpius was going to like it. It wasn't any sort of grand gesture or any sort of romantic motion. But it was what he thought Scorpius would want, and he bought it.

He waited a little while in the Room of Requirement. It was some sort of fluke that it was always open to him and Scorpius. Like the castle knew that they needed a safe haven, a refuge for the two of them, beyond the needs of any other Hogwarts student who might know of the room's existence.

When Scorpius appeared, he was grinning, carrying a change of clothes under his arm.

"Hello," he said cheerfully.

"Long time no see," Albus said as Scorpius placed his stack of clothes neatly on one of the tables. He walked over to the bed and climbed up to sit next to Albus.

"Present?" Scorpius said. "Awesome. One can never have enough presents, I assure you."

"Nope," Albus agreed, passing the package over to Scorpius. "I hope you like them."

"Them?" Scorpius said.

"Two things, one box," Albus explained.

Scorpius pulled off the paper and opened the box. On top was a black and white knit hat, with the emblem of the Montrose Magpies stitched on the front of it.

"It's so you can support me. Well… I didn't know it would be me when I bought it… but after meeting Theo LaMotte, I was hopeful… and after today, I suppose it's more fitting. Besides, you shouldn't be wasting your time on a rubbish team like the Tutshill Tornadoes."

"Hey, hey, hey," Scorpius said. "Don't go bashing the Tornadoes. It's going to take more than a knit hat to break my allegiance. But at the same time, Al, it's perfect. It'll be perfect for me to support you."

"Keep going," Albus said.

Under the hat, wrapped in tissue paper, was a thick bound black book. On it, in gold writing, were the words "The Secrets of the Auror Office." Scorpius turned to the table of contents, reading the lengthy list of everything possibly pertaining to Aurors, history, and people and shining moments or dark ones.

"Everything you could ever want to know about your future employers," Albus explained.

"Oh…" Scorpius said. "That's amazing Albus. It's perfect. It's the best gift I've gotten all day."

Scorpius leaned forward, wrapping his arms tightly around Albus. "Thank you, Albus!"

"You're welcome," Albus said. "More than welcome. I'm glad you like it."

"I more than like it! It's great!" Scorpius hugged him and then kissed him on the lips passionately.

"I love you," Albus said.

"I love you too," Scorpius said. "So much."


	65. In Their Shoes

_**A/N: So... we're winding down here. There's an estimated 69 chapters for this fic (with the last being an epilogue). I hope to get those up as soon as I write them and get them betaed. So shout out to my awesome beta who's dealt with my psychotic writing behaviors and helped me get stuff to all of you ASAP! **_

**Chapter 65**

__**In Their Shoes**

"I didn't know he was still around…" Albus said thoughtfully.

"What?" Scorpius wondered, looking up. Albus was following the movement of Owen Matthews as he walked past them to sit in one of the desks in the Transfiguration classroom.

"It's been a week," Albus whispered. "I hadn't seen him. No one told us what happened. He just wasn't there."

"I suppose we could ask him," Scorpius said. "I don't know if he would take too kindly to that, but it's the only possibility I can think of."

"I can't believe we didn't even get a detention," Albus said. "I think it's crazy."

"It is a bit remarkable," Scorpius said.

"I hate this class," Albus complained, turning his attention away from Owen and looking up at the professor.

"You shouldn't hate it," Scorpius said.

"It's bloody annoying," Albus grumbled.

"Just focus on it, it won't be that bad," he said.

"I should just accept a Quidditch offer now and drop out of school," Albus said.

"Would you really?" Scorpius wondered.

"No, not really," Albus said, shaking his head.

-CD-

"Potter, Malfoy," Owen's voice broke into Scorpius and Albus' conversation as they walked away from Trasfiguration, ready for their break.

"What do you want Owen?" Albus demanded grumpily. He was really hoping they weren't going to get into this again. He didn't want to think about arguing with Owen anymore. In fact, he was just incredulous that the bloke was coming back for more!

"Don't get defensive, please," Owen said, holding up his hands.

"Give me one reason not to," Scorpius snapped, reaching for his wand.

"Look…" Owen said. "Okay… I just want to talk to the two of you."

"You can't tell me that you suddenly want to be friends with us, Owen," Albus said, rolling his eyes. "Come on Scorp."

"I don't know if I want to be friends with you," Owen said, hurrying to catch up with them as they started down the hallway.

"Then why are you bothering talking to us?" Albus said. "I'm sick of you."

"But we were friends once," Owen said. "You said that yourself."  
>Albus stopped turning around to look at him.<p>

"Come on, Albus, he's just trying to be nice to keep himself from getting expelled," Scorpius said, tugging at Albus' arm. Albus ignored him.

"Yeah. _Once, _Owen. We were friends, once. Once upon a bloody time, and then you became a prick when I figured out why my life had been terrible until this point. I don't think I want to be friends with you anymore, actually, so you can save yourself any falsities."

Scorp grinned next to him.

"Albus," Owen said.

"So I'm Albus again? Not Potter? Nice turn of events," Albus said, sneering.

"Albus, I'm sorry I've been violent," Owen said.

"Yeah?" Albus said. "I don't believe you. If you were sorry… well no one changes their mind that way all of a sudden."

"I was suspended again," Owen said. "I went home. And my parents… they were upset with me. They didn't think… they couldn't believe what I was doing. You know why?"

"I can only begin to imagine," Albus grumbled.

"My sister, remember her?" Owen said.

"Yeah," Albus said. "Emma." Emma Matthews was a good six years older than they were, but she had been in Gryffindor too, and Albus had met her on holidays.

"Yeah," Owen said. "I just found out… she has a girlfriend."

Albus stared for a moment. "_Emma?"_

"Yeah," Owen said.

"I sure as hell didn't see that one coming," Albus said, dumbstruck. "Then again, no one saw me coming, or Scorpius… Oh Merlin."

"So can't you understand that I am sorry?" Owen said.

"I suppose," Albus said.

"If someone treated my sister the way I have been treating you…" Owen said. "I would want to kill them."

"Now you get it," Albus said.

"I think I might get it. A little," Owen said.

"I don't know if we can ever get over this…" Albus said. "You did some bloody awful things, Owen."

"I don't expect you to get over it," Owen said. "I'm still not over everything… it still freaks me out, Albus. I don't get it, and it's not normal. But… I'm trying to be more open minded. I love my sister… and you and I… we were friends once."

"Once," Albus said, turning and walking away with Scorpius.

"I can't believe that," Scorpius said.

"He's still a prick," Albus said. "Maybe a bit remorseful, but only because he has to be."

"I don't know," Scorpius said. "Maybe you should be more optimistic."  
>"I don't like him," Albus said. "He did horrible things."<p>

"Agreed. It wasn't too long ago that I wanted to wring his neck with my bare hands," Scorpius said. "But I'm just saying. Family can do weird things to you."

"I know," Albus said.

-CD-

"We won," Scorpius said simply to his teammates as they headed back into the locker room. He still had a snitch clutched in his hand—and if he was being honest with himself, it was probably the last one he was ever going to catch while he was at Hogwarts. The next Seeker he would face would be Albus, and, while Scorpius wouldn't capitulate in the slightest, he had a feeling Albus was going to best him.

"Yes we did," Scarlet said, patting him on the back. "Nice catch."

"Thank you," Scorpius said, grinning at her.

"So are we resigning ourselves to the fact that that's very likely the last Quidditch match we're going to win at Hogwarts?" Kirk asked.

"Uh…" Scorpius said. "I don't think we can resign ourselves to a loss. That's just dramatic. And it's giving up before we've lost. Certainly the odds aren't exactly in our favor, but if we go down, we're going to give the Gryffindor team a damn good run for its money."

"Here, here!" Nick said, clapping Scorpius on the back too.

"You're not going to let Albus win then?" Kirk said.

"I'm going to let him win about as much as he's going to let me win," Scorpius informed him, laughing.

On his way to the captain's office, he froze. He hadn't had an amiable conversation with Kirk since… since before he came out to the entire school. They weren't friends anymore. They were enemies. They were arguing, Kirk hated him and what he was and was willing to go to extremes to make it clear.

But Kirk had never gone to extremes. He had never been on the scene when the attacks came against Scorpius and Albus. In fact, he was the one that went to find help when he knew Owen was going to try to start some sort of fight with them in the corridor, the night Owen set Scorpius' robes on fire.

"Hey Kirk," Scorpius said.

"Yeah?" Kirk said, looking up from his locker.

"I never actually said thank you for going to get Rose and the others when you heard Owen was going to hurt Al and me…" Scorpius said.

"Oh…" Kirk said. "Yeah, you're welcome."

Scorpius turned away, heading back toward his office.

"Wait, Scorp," Kirk said. Everyone else in the locker room tried to pretend they weren't listening as Scorpius turned around. "I might… I might not agree with your life… but we are friends… Or we were… and I shouldn't have said those things. Because you're a decent person… and a good friend. And… it was just arsey of me…"

"Yeah…" Scorpius said. "Well… I understand that not everyone is exactly gung-ho… But I was always hopeful that we could be friends…"

He turned around again and head to his office, a little shocked. He hadn't expected that, even from Kirk. Sure, they'd been friends for a long time, but there were some pretty nasty things that had come out of Kirk's mouth since the beginning of the calendar year. Scorpius hadn't anticipated that they would actually become friends again.

Scarlet was waiting in Scorpius' office when he got out of the shower.

"So what was that?" she asked as he pulled a clean t-shirt over his head.

"I'm not quite sure myself," he said. "Does he want to be friends or…?"

"I couldn't tell you," she said. "He seemed repentant enough. But I'm not sure what all of that was…"

"He's a good bloke," Scorpius said. "I don't know if things will actually ever be as matey as they were before… some pretty horrible things did come out of his mouth, after all. But maybe we can actually get along now."

"He was repentant from the beginning," Scarlet said. "I think so, at least. He never wanted to hurt either of you. I just think it freaked him out."

"It reminds me a little of something that Albus said to me—when I came out to him, he told me that it was hard because if someone like me could be gay, then there was a chance he, Albus, could be gay too… Granted, with Albus, he definitely was… but maybe it freaked Kirk out a little or something. Or maybe he was just freaked out because he shared a dorm room with someone who might look at him a little."

"Which you never did…" Scarlet said.

"I know, but I bet the possibility of it… I mean, if someone's uncomfortable with the idea of people being gay, they're probably going to be super paranoid about gays looking at them…" Scorpius said. "Maybe I understand it a little."

"I think you understand about as much as Kirk understands you," Scarlet said. "Which means to say, you get it a lot, but you don't get to the real truth. You couldn't possibly get to the real truth without being in each other's shoes, and that's something you can never be."

Scorpius nodded. "It's weird. We've been getting revelations from him and Owen all at the same time…"

"Revelations?" Scarlet questioned. "I don't know if I would call them that. Maybe just reassessments? I honestly think Kirk just needed a few moments to process everything that was going on. You were one of his better friends."

"I know," Albus said.

"I mean, I think Nick got to him a little," Scarlet admitted. "Nick was trying to get him back onto the good side for the longest time."

"I don't think there's a good or bad side unless people start being violent about it," Scorpius contradicted. "I don't know…"

"I agree," she said. "There are just some people that can keep their opinions to themselves and it's all just fine and dandy. But I don't see how anyone… knowing you and Albus… could hate anyone for what they are. You two are some of the best people I know… You're some of the best people anyone knows… Why this could darken you for them, I can't even begin to imagine…"

"I don't understand it either," Scorpius said. "But like you said, we're not in their shoes. We're only in our own. I can't ever be any other way."

"I can't either," Scarlet said. "You're my best friend, Scorp. It would take a lot to get out of that. Besides, who cares who people love? I think I've said it a thousand times now…"

"Come on," Scorpius said. "Party time, I'm sure."

"Dinner first," Scarlet contradicted. "Then party time. Do you remember last time we had a Slytherin Quidditch after party?"

"Ugh," Scorpius said.

"I believe you nearly assaulted Nick, and then you proceeded to get even more drunk, vomit, and then confess that you were attracted to Albus to no one but Albus himself."  
>"And then he went and had sex with that whore," Scorpius growled.<p>

"Maybe you should continue the sex trend," Scarlet said. "But don't think about Natalia. That couldn't have been anything more than drunken stupidity. We all know he loves you, Scorp. I can't even imagine him straight now."

"Albus always says, ninety percent gay and ten percent straight," Scorpius said. "I'm going to make sure he never has a moment to focus on that ten percent. Besides, he himself even rounds ninety up to one hundred and ten down to zero."

Scarlet rolled her eyes. "What about you? Got some percentages for me?"

"One hundred percent questioning why people find breasts attractive."


	66. Captains, Shake Hands

**Chapter 66**

**Captains, Shake Hands**

How things were ever calm at Hogwarts, Albus wasn't really sure. But people, it seemed, finally stopped caring about what went on in other people's lives. Were he and Owen best mates? Most certainly not. But was Owen being nice to him? Definitely.

And that morning, everything was calm. The castle was quiet as Albus walked out onto the lawn. In the past month and a half, he'd been leaving school enough to visit various Quidditch pitches. And all of it came down to this day.

The green grass, no longer covered by snow, glimmered in the sparkling morning sunlight. Emerald drops of dew clung desperately to the blades and a hush had settled on the entirety of the grounds, as he was probably the only person awake yet. Just after the sun came up. Albus smiled to himself.

It was a warm day. The sun was bright, putting everyone at an advantage and a disadvantage. There was almost no wind. Some would say everything had culminated into ideal Quidditch conditions. Ideal, for some, maybe, but for Albus every possible condition the world could ever come up with was ideal.

He breathed a deep sigh. It was perfect. In the distance, down the hill, the Quidditch pitch stood waiting. In a matter of hours he would lead his team onto that field for the last time. Seven years of playing, three years of captaining—it all ended today.

All he was asking for was his name on that plaque once again, hanging on the wall in the Trophy room for the third year under captain and the sixth time it would be there as Seeker. And then… once he had that… all he wanted was to play for the Montrose Magpies.

He turned back inside, knowing he was going to need breakfast to fuel himself.

-CD-

The teams walked separately. Albus had his arms around Rose and Lily and the rest of the team laughed behind them as they walked to the locker room. Nothing was organized or synchronized about the movements of the Gryffindors now. Everyone bounced around, talking, laughing, shoving each other. The excitement was palpable.

A good distance away, the Slytherin team walked in silence. It was vaguely reminiscent of a funeral march, save for the looks of absolute determination on their faces as they crossed the lawn. Albus knew they weren't going down without a fight.

He reached the locker room and unlocked it for the team, turning to look in the direction of the Slytherin locker room. Scorpius was looking over at him. The two of them crossed the lawn, leaving their teams behind and closing the distance.

"Hey," Scorpius said.

"Hi," Albus said.

"I just want to say, let the best man win," Scorpius said.

Albus grinned at him, offering a hand to shake. "Good luck, Malfoy."

"You too—you're going to need it, Potter," Scorpius said, laughing a little. And then he pulled Albus in for a very quick kiss. "Show them what you've got."

"Try to keep up with me," Albus said, dropping Scorpius' hand and turning away.

Albus went back into the locker room, heading to his office. The door read, as it had since his fifth year, _Albus Potter, Captain. _He had until the end of the year to clean everything up in there, and he knew it would take him some time and some will power to move on to a new chapter.

He pulled his scarlet robes off of the hook where he had them hanging. A gold _A. Potter_ and a number one were stitched onto the back. They were much like the robes he'd had in his first year, only a good deal longer. He pulled them on, and flipped open his play book, skimming the plays he had taught his team solely for this purpose: to win the Quidditch Cup. They would be fine. He knew they would. It was probably the best team he had ever captained, but it would've been better if James had been on it. Still, they were good, they were… it seemed… unstoppable.

He didn't want to go into the game with a big head, but he didn't know if that was possible. The only thing he knew was that he couldn't screw this up. He just couldn't fail here, now.

He pulled on his gloves, joining his team in the locker room where, for the most part, they had finished changing.

"Hey, everyone," Albus said, grinning at all of them. "So, here we are. We made it. We had a wonderful season. We've played great games. But that means absolutely nothing going in here. It only means that we have to still bring everything we have onto that pitch. Slytherin has played great games too. If I do say so myself, we played better. I know we have. We shouldn't let that go to our heads though.

"All I can say is, make this count. You have to make this count. This is everything many of us. Most of us. I don't know who will be captain next year, but this could be the difference."

_"Lily," _Fred coughed, then he laughed.

"I don't know that. But you all need to make this count. I just want to say thank you to everyone. This was… a great year. There's no doubt in my mind that I couldn't have been so successful with my Quidditch contract deals if I hadn't had you all to help me get there."

"Those scouts are out there?" Striker questioned.

"Yes," Albus said.

"Well we all have to play really well then," Striker said.

Albus smiled. "Come on team, let's go greet the adoring fans."

He led the team out on the field, with Rose right behind him. The stands erupted into cheers when they walked out Only the Slytherin stands weren't rampant with applause and shouting. The Slytherin team came out then, earning themselves Gryffindor boos, Slytherin screams and then a mix of approval from Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff.

"Captains, shake hands," Scorpius and Albus were ordered.

Scorpius grinned at Albus, and Albus couldn't help but smile back, shaking his hand simply before moving to mount his broom.

At the whistle, everyone kicked off from the ground, taking flight instantly. Albus called out a quick play, grinning to himself as Lily took possession of the Quaffle and blew down the field. He started his regular pattern of Seeking, grinning ear to ear. This was the last time he would be playing here and he knew it… In some ways, it was painful. In others, the prospect of the many other Quidditch pitches that could be in his future was so amazing to him… It made the sadness in his heart lighten considerably.

"Go, go, Gryffindor!" Albus heard the cheers from his stand. He gave the crowd a skim, knowing it was in bad taste to do so. But he had a feeling his parents were down there, and James as well. Aunt Hermione and Uncle Ron might have been down there too. Everyone was there to support him and Rose in their final match of their Hogwarts career. Somewhere even—most likely—were Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy, here to cheer on Scorpius too.

He focused quickly back on the game, glancing at Scorpius, who was barking orders grumpily at his Nick and Scarlet. He heard the word "Potters" out of his mouth. Albus shrugged. All was fair in love and war. He was a target and so was his sister. But Scorpius was easily a target of Fred and Striker too.

He swooped down beneath the game, skimming along, looking for any sign of the Golden Snitch.

"Lily Potter scores! Ten more points to Gryffindor. The score is now twenty-zero, in favor of the gold and scarlet." Eva Finnigan's voice carried over the crowd. Albus smiled to himself. They were going to win it. He could feel it.

Some people were born to fly. He wanted to live his life in the air, never walk, always fly. He liked the feeling, the pure adrenaline, and the idea that he was in control and he had power here. Everything above the ground was his, no exceptions. He ruled this domain with a steady hand and a resolute command.

He swooped again, only up this time, rocketing into the air to skim from above. Scorpius almost followed, him, but then realized Albus wasn't going for the snitch and continued his own path.

A Bludger, shot by Scarlet, nearly caught Albus in the head, but he rolled just in time to avoid it. Scorpius grinned at Scarlet, giving her a high five for throwing Albus' focus for a moment. There would be no letting each other win in this game.

"Striker!" Albus shouted down to his Beater. "Knock Malfoy off his broom if you have to. Or any of them."  
>"Will do," Striker said, chasing after a Bludger. He whacked it at Nick, who caught it to the shoulder, because he was too occupied but shook it off. Striker cussed and shot after the rampant black ball again.<p>

Albus grinned waving in and out of the players with careful precision, skimming the pitch. And then he saw it. The golden snitch was flitting about above them all, a good twenty feet up in the air. Albus assessed the angle quickly, and the angle at which Scorpius would be approaching when he noticed what Albus was up to. Albus shot off, the wind lapping gently as his skin—the only wind of the day, wind he created.

Scorpius caught on and followed hot on Albus' tail. Albus glanced back at Scorpius to find his eyes flicking about rapidly. He had still not spotted the golden ball. Which was precisely Albus' plan. Once they were completely past the snitch, Albus pulled up rapidly, shooting into the air, looping backwards in a large loop-the-loop, which resulted in him temporarily being upside down. But when he reached right side up again, he was right by the Golden Snitch, which had only flittered around in a space of five feet, and it was a simple measure to snatch it in his hand.

The stands erupted in a cheer and Scorpius looked at Albus. While his boyfriend was smiling, Albus could tell that Scorpius was in shock that Albus had duped him so.

"Albus Potter catches the snitch! Gryffindor wins!"

Albus grinned to himself dropping slowly to the ground as the crowds cheered around him. Rose squealed and threw her arms around him, giving him a kiss on the cheek. He gave Lily a hug too, and suddenly the Quidditch cup was in his arms. He grinned, hoisting it above his head as the Gryffindors kept cheering and his team slapped him on the back.

"Did anyone else see that catch?" Striker demanded. "Did you see him catch the snitch?"

Not everyone had. But even Albus himself had to say it was simply a fantastic catch. It was the sort of catch that made the scouts of the British and Irish League go after him.

A pair of green-robed arms encircled him as Scorpius gave him a tight hug. Albus shoved the cup into Rose's hands, hugging Scorpius back.

"That was fantastic," Scorpius said. "I can't say I'm not a little bitter, of course… but I'm happy for you. You deserved it."

"Thanks," Albus said.

"And just so you know, I'm going to let you party with your Gryffindor friends tonight," Scorpius said. "We'll have a mourning party in our common room, and it's a good idea for me to join in. But you need to celebrate."

"Believe me, I will," Albus said, grinning at him. "But you have to let me go a second."

His parents had made their way down onto the field and gave him a tight hug and several kisses.

"We're so proud of you, Al," his mom said, and James and Daphne, who had come too, clapped him on the back.

"Thanks," Albus said.

"Hey, Albus," Daphne said. "You might want to give a few more people some attention."

She pointed over in the direction of the Gryffindor goal posts, where there was a large cluster of people in varying colors, all apparently waiting for him. Scouts.

_Next Chapter: "What do you take this for? Of course someone smuggled in alcohol!" _


	67. The Montrose Magpies

**Chapter 67**

**The Montrose Magpies**

There were more scouts at this game than there had been at the other one, all of them waiting in a clump. They sort of chitchatted with each other, friends, but competitors just the same. Each one of them wore the colors of their respective teams, but Albus noticed Theo LaMotte had a Gryffindor flag in his hand. He was arguing with the Puddlemere scout, a short, very beautiful brunette woman.

"Stop, Adele, you can't have him," Theo grumbled at her as Albus approached.

"Says you. I will fight you to the death, Theo," she growled, poking him in the chest. He rubbed his chest carefully.

"Excuse me," Albus said, interrupting them.

"Hey, Albus," Theo said happily, practically elbowing the Puddlemere scout out of the way.

"In the name of Merlin, Theo, if you don't stop now, I'm calling off the wedding," Adele snapped.

Theo turned to look at her. "Empty threats."

Albus just laughed at them. He had no idea it was possible for people who were blatant competitors in a profession to fall in love. But he supposed anything could happen. He'd had no idea, however, about Theo's fiancée.

"Well, I hate to disappoint," Albus said to her kindly.

"But," Theo said happily.

"But… Theo can you go over what the terms of my contract would be again?" Albus wondered. "If I were to choose Montrose."

"You would play and train as a second string reserve Seeker for a year," Theo said. "Then, when the season is up, our first string Seeker is slated to retire—and very happy about it—and you will take his job as first string Seeker. With some money involved, of course…"

"Done," Albus said, holding his hand out to Theo. "Let me know what I need to sign and when."

Theo grinned at him, shaking his hand. Adele groaned loudly.

"All right," she said. "Everyone can leave now. Theo's won."

Everyone else groaned a little too, and Albus smiled.

"Montrose welcomes you," Theo said. "I believe this is going to be the beginning of something fantastic. We will need you to come to the stadium to sign a few things… you'll want to bring your witness of the contract signing, find someone who can make sure the contract doesn't have any hidden charms…"

"Might it?" Albus wondered.

"No, but we want to make sure you know not to use that as an excuse—it's all legality, you know. Just like Muggle sports. Do you ever hear about Muggle sports?"

"I do," Albus said.

"Well you know how much drama there can be," Theo said, laughing. "I think someone ought to tell you how great a catch that was, Albus. I've seen stuff like that in the pros, certainly, but you just have this grace about you—Adele, I hate to rub salt in any wounds, but I have a question for you."

The Puddlemere scout looked up at him, crossing her arms. "What?"

"Isn't he better than a good chunk of the pros?" Theo wondered.

"Yeah," Adele admitted grudgingly. "He is. And with a little honing, he could be better than all of them. He's got some sort of natural gift that I can't see in any Seeker in the League. I remember thinking that the first time I saw you play, Albus. We were checking out a Hufflepuff Chaser in your first year. I knew then that you would be going pro. Granted, I didn't have the job I have now and was mostly a tag-along assistant who had just left this place myself. But now… I see I was more than right. And now I'm grumpy because Theo got you and I don't get you."

"Your offers were almost the same," Albus said. "With some pros and cons for both. But I've been a fan of the Montrose Magpies since I could ask who was the best in the League. My dad told me it was the Magpies. And I jumped on board with that."

"See that?" Theo wondered. "Best in the League."

"I'm nauseous," Adele declared. "Good bye Theo, I will see you at home."

"Bye, love," Theo said, chuckling.

One by one the scouts were walking off the pitch. A couple of them were trying futilely to get Scarlet to consider playing, but she just turned up her nose at them. She told them she didn't believe that they were actually interested in her, but that they wanted to make sure they didn't come away from this with nothing to say for themselves. Then she stalked off to the locker room.

"I'm sure," Theo said, "that there's going to be some major celebration tonight in the Gryffindor House."

"Probably," Albus said, laughing a little.

"Well, you deserve it," Theo said. "I saw every game you played this year, and you deserved this win. Everyone played well—they have a fantastic team too, you can tell. Yours was just a little bit better. I will say they have Beaters that would both be more than welcome in the League. Pass that on to the male beater… Nick, I think his name is. We'll be needing a Beater for Montrose soon…"

"I'll let him know," Albus said.

"All right. Well I'll send an owl to you soon to let you know when we have to sign things and whatnot," Theo said. "But you ought to go celebrate now. Your family looks like they want to talk to you."

"Thanks," Albus said, grinning. "See you soon."

"Yep," Theo said, giving a wave and heading toward the exit.

Albus walked back to his family, who was waiting patiently for him.

"So…" Daphne said. "In a few years will you be joining me on the team for England?"

"Who knows?" Albus said, shrugging. He laughed. "Montrose Magpies."

"Great. So when you two play each other I have to take sides between my brother and my fi- my girlfriend."

Everyone looked at James and he turned scarlet. Daphne glared at him. "So much for secrets, James. Goodness."

"What?" Lily demanded.

"Well… we were trying to keep this a secret because the press would really love to know that a World Cup Chaser and Harry Potter's son got engaged," Daphne said, rolling her eyes.

"Oh Merlin!" Lily said, jumping up and hugging Daphne. His mother gave James a tight a hug too, congratulating him.

"Engaged huh?" Albus said. "Oh Merlin is right."

"You'll be my best man?" James asked him.

"If I must," Albus said. "It might be beneath me now that I'm a pro Quidditch player…"

James hit him on the shoulder. "On a reserve team."

"Technicalities," Albus informed him, giving him a tight hug. "Congrats, James."

-CD-

Scorpius flopped onto the couch in the Slytherin common room.

"Mourning," Scarlet said. Nick flopped on the floor by the couch and Scarlet sprawled herself in his lap.

As much as Scorpius was happy for Albus, he did need to mope a little bit about the loss. An air of moroseness had settled itself on the Slytherin common room. Scorpius had said goodbye to his parents, who knew he needed the time with his team to mope a little.

"I think we did admirably," Scorpius said as the rest of the team flopped in the same area in the common room. "We played a great game and we had a great season."

"I knew the chances were slim that we would beat Gryffindor… Potter is just too good," Kirk said.

"Yeah, he is good," Scorpius said.

"You saw all those scouts," Tessa said. "They were for him… but I still had a glimmer of hope that we could pull it off."

"I did too," Scorpius said. "They have a strong team though..."

"We did too," Scarlet said. "But Albus Potter is some sort of Quidditch-gifted God."

Scorpius laughed. "He's good. We all know that."

"Who did he pick to sign with?" Scarlet asked.

"Montrose," Scorpius said, even though he didn't know for certain.

Kirk let out a low whistle. "Good team…"

"Yeah, it is," Scorpius said, smiling a little. He was proud of Albus, despite losing the match.

"Well you were a good captain," Tessa said. "And you're a good Seeker. If Albus Potter wasn't so… ethereally good, you would be more recognized."

"It's okay," Scorpius said. "Some people are just naturally good at some things." Scorpius yawned. "Did someone smuggle in some alcohol?"

"What do you take this for? A Ravenclaw common room? Merlin," Kirk said. "Of course someone smuggled in some alcohol."

"I'm just shocked because I didn't buy it…" Scorpius said, laughing. "Where?"

Under Kirk's instruction on where to find it, Scorpius disappeared. He came back with some for everyone who was a sixth or seventh year. The rest of the team tended to abstain.

"So it ends," Scarlet said morosely.

Nick wrapped his arm more tightly around her. They were getting much clingier as it got closer and closer to the moment of separation. Unlike Scarlet, Nick had one more year of school. Knowing the two of them, Scorpius was having a hard time envisioning how they would spend any time apart from each other and bear it.

"I love you," Scarlet whispered to him.

Scorpius considered himself lucky. While he and Albus had different career futures ahead of them, they couldn't be separated for any prolonged period of time. They both were licensed to apparate after all, and no matter how hectic their schedules got, they would still have time to see each other. Scorpius was sure of it.

"I love you too," Nick told her, brushing her hair carefully with his fingers.

Scarlet started kissing him where everyone could see, but for once no one on the team complained about their copious amounts of PDA. What had started as fuck buddies with a mutual attraction had turned into two people who honestly loved each other.

-CD-

At some point, the team started dissolving. The whole house started wandering to bed. Nick and Scarlet had long since left everyone's presence, which meant either the sixth year boys or the seventh year girls couldn't go to bed yet, but no one was really all that keen on investigating. Tessa left not too long after, and slowly, one by one, everyone else sort of faded away until it was Kirk and Scorpius left.

"I think I'm going to go for a walk," Scorpius said. "See you later."

"Bye," Kirk said. He was half-asleep, sprawled in an arm chair with his legs hanging over one of the arms. As soon as Scorpius started walking away, he was pretty sure Kirk fell asleep.

Scorpius headed into the hallways. He wouldn't get in trouble, even though it was well after hours. He stuffed his hands in his pockets, squinting in the dark corridors so he didn't run into anyone. At this point, his biggest problem would be Peeves, and the Bloody Baron had so much respect for Scorpius that Peeves mostly left him alone. Within the Slytherin house, any Head Boys from the green and silver were practically revered.

Some of the portraits were chatting idly, though most had drifted off to sleep—a good chunk of those were snoring, some more loudly than the others. A group of men playing Wizard poker and consuming more Firewhiskey than they ought to, greeted Scorpius loudly with a chorus of uncoordinated and slurred speech. He grinned and gave them a wave as they got back to the game. He wasn't sure they ever stopped playing.

He hadn't been paying attention to his wandering until he passed the Gryffindor common room. The Fat Lady was napping peacefully, with a box of chocolates at her feet. After a little while longer, he was challenged to a duel by Sir Cadogan until the little knight ran out of portraits through which to chase Scorpius.

Scorpius liked his nighttime wandering. He liked the school like this, dark and empty. It seemed so ethereal… So magical. And it was magical, of course, but he saw it in a different way at this time of night. There was so much more to Hogwarts than one student could even find out in his entire time there…. Scorpius knew there had to be a thousand rooms he hadn't even thought about—places he would never know about. Maybe that was why he was going to miss this place so much.

But someone was coming up behind him and he didn't have time to think of the secrets of the castle any more.


	68. Hopelessly in Love

**A/N: Hi! Sorry for the delay in updates. I hope that 6,000 words of fluffy smut make up for it. Chapter content is MATURE. **

**Chapter 68.**

**Hopelessly in Love**

"Who's there?" Scorpius wondered, getting out his wand. He really couldn't deal with Owen right now, or something like that.

"Hey," Albus said, wrapping his arms around Scorpius. He smelled a little like alcohol. Not enough to make Scorpius worried, but enough that he could smell it just the same.

"Hey," Scorpius said. "What are you doing here?"

"I got bored," Albus said. "I thought I would come find you."

"Did you stalk me on your map?" Scorpius wondered.

"No," Albus said, trying to stuff the parchment further into his pocket.

Scorpius laughed, wrapping his arms around him. "How did you get bored at a Gryffindor party?"

"There are only so many times you can listen to people sing about how awesome you are before it starts to get old," Albus informed him, laughing.

"Oh, it must be rough." Scorpius kissed him on the cheek

Albus chuckled again. "So what are you doing?"

"Just wandering," Scorpius said, shrugging.

"Do you mind if I join you?" Albus wondered.

"Nope," Scorpius said. "Not in the slightest."

They linked hands and started to walk the corridors.

-CD-

"Okay, Malfoy, this is it." Rose Weasley walked up to Scorpius as they waited outside of their first N.E.W.T exam, the Transfiguration one. Albus was muttering to Max about how bad he was at Transfiguration and how if he didn't get a T on this, he would consider it a success.

"This is what?" Scorpius said, surprised. She hadn't called him _Malfoy _in a while.

"This is the start of the end," she said. "The first exam of the last set of exams we have to try and destroy each other."

"Oh…" Scorpius said.

"May the best person win," Rose said, offering out a kind a hand.

"I think you mean best _man," _Scorpius corrected, shaking her hand.

"You know… just when I was starting to like you…" Rose trailed off, shaking her head. "I mean… you're not that bad, Scorpius. Not bad at all. And you love Albus, and that's what matters."

Scorpius grinned, stepping to the side a little ways so that Albus wouldn't hear their conversation. "You love him too."

"And he'll be okay," Rose said. "I know he will."

"I know," Scorpius said.

"So thanks," she said. "You did what I couldn't."

"I can't take full credit," Scorpius said. "It's not only me."

"Yeah, but you were a big part of it," she said. "You helped him realize who he actually is, and who he can be if he just lets himself…"

Scorpius smiled. "I care about him."

"I know," she said, smiling back.

"What are you two hissing about over there?" Albus demanded, stalking over to them. He was grumpy, mostly because he had to sit through the exam, even though he had already secured his future with a couple of signatures and a handshake with the Magpies. Scorpius knew he just wanted to leave himself options for after the League.

"Competitor stuff," Rose said. "I think Scorpius feels threatened by my genius. I'm going to go find Lysander."

She waltzed away, and Albus looked suspiciously at Scorpius, but said nothing.

"I'm probably going to fail," he contributed once more instead.

"With an attitude like that, you definitely will," Scorpius informed him, shaking his head. "Come on. Am I not a great tutor?"

"You're a good tutor," Albus said. "A distracting one though. And every time I think about the principles of Advanced Human Transfiguration. I can only think about kissing you, which is what we did after I finally remembered some of it…"

Scorpius laughed. "Whoops… not so effective then."

"Not really," Albus said. "But I never want to use Transfiguration again, anyway. Unless… nope, I can't even think of an unless."

"Come on…" Scorpius led the way into the Great Hall, which was now filled with rows of desks to fit all of the seventh years. Where Scorpius sat, he was toward the end of one of the columns, starting the M section and Albus was at the beginning of the next, with the rest of the P's.

"You have three hours to complete the exam in front of you." When those words echoed throughout the hall, Scorpius opened his booklet and turned to the first page, creasing it carefully and dipping his quill in the ink in front of him. _1: List and describe three of the Principles of Advanced Human Transfiguration. _He laughed to himself, and he saw Albus' shoulders shaking too.

-CD-

"A bunch of people are going down to the lake, do you want to go?" Albus asked Scorpius walking up to him after their Charms written exam. The Great Hall was filled with a flood of OWL and NEWT students, all of whom had wrapped up their last exams by this point.

"I don't know," Scorpius said. "I kind of want to relax. But we can go if you want."

"Nah," Albus said. "It's too warm out. I think it'd be cooler in the Room of Requirement."

"Okay," Scorpius said, taking his hand. "Wow."

'Wow what?" Albus wondered.

"I can't believe it's over," Scorpius said.

"It's not over yet," Albus argued, squeezing his hand.

"I know…" Scorpius said. "But it's close…"

Albus put his arm around Scorpius, leaning into his side.

"I love you," Albus said.

"Yeah," Scorpius said. "I love you too."

"That's not going to be over any time soon," Albus informed him.

The Room of Requirement, their own sanctuary, their room, was waiting for them as always. They had laid a claim to it by now. The bed was neatly made in the middle of the room, and the couches were there, but they weren't necessary. Albus hopped up onto the bed and stretched out on his back. He undid the tie on his uniform, casting it to the side and undoing a few buttons too.

Scorpius grinned as Albus slid closer to him, matching their body shapes to each other.

"I thought you were hot," Scorpius accused.

"Mm… I'm never too hot to do this," Albus said, wrapping both his arms around Scorpius and nestling into his side. He closed his eyes and breathed a content sigh. Scorpius turned to put both of his arms around Albus too, kissing the top of Albus' head in his scruff of black hair.

"On the contrary, you are always too hot," Scorpius said. "At least for my own good."

"Smooth, Scorp," Albus said, chuckling. He looked up at Scorpius thoughtfully.

"I do try," Scorpius informed him, winking and bending his neck to kiss Albus on the nose. "I'm happy. Are you happy?"

"I'm happy," Albus said. "And I can say that with sureness and certainty."

Scorpius ducked his head fully, meeting Albus' lips with his own. They started kissing then. Their lips were designed to work with each other, Albus was sure of it. And it always seemed, when they were kissing, that there was some part of his mouth that Scorpius had yet to explore with his tongue. Or maybe it was some unexplored territory on his stomach or chest, if they started taking off shirts.

They were still playing it safe. Of course they were. They couldn't be over hasty. Albus wanted everything to be perfect, and he knew they would both know when the time was right to take things a step further.

It could be any minute now, and he would know it.

Scorpius groaned, rolling so that he was leaning somewhat over the top of Albus. He started to undo the buttons of Albus' uniform shirt, following his hasty, but knowledgeable—and admittedly, practiced—fingers with kisses down the Gryffindor's chest and abdomen. Albus couldn't possibly get over the feeling of Scorpius' lips on his skin. They raised goosebumps and gave him a chill at first, but left behind a hot ring of flesh, sending Albus' heartbeat through the roof.

"I love you…" Scorpius said, as Albus grabbed a hold of his tie and started yanking carefully to get it off of Scorpius' neck.

"I love you so much," Albus said as Scorpius' lips met his neck with all the ferocity Albus imagined Scorpius was capable of.

"Good," Scorpius said against Albus' jaw. Albus' arms were still in his shirt and he hadn't even begun to get farther than Scorpius' tie, but his heart was hammering and his body was craving more contact as his blood hurdled southward.

He knotted his fingertips in Scorpius' hair drawing the blonde against him. Scorpius sighed gently as Albus' hand traveled down his neck. Scorpius buried his nose further into Albus' neck, kissing and sighing with happiness.

"I just… I need you," Scorpius informed him, hugging Albus tightly.

"I need you too," Albus said.

"I want you, too," Scorpius said.

"Oh?" Albus said.

"Yeah," Scorpius said. "So much…"

He kissed the shell of Albus' ear, causing Albus to squirm under him. "Okay."

Scorpius sat bolt upright on his knees, straddling Albus' thighs. "What?"

Albus sat up too, wrapping his arms around Scorpius. He kissed Scorpius' neck very carefully. "I'm saying I'm ready, if you're ready."

"Are you sure?" Scorpius said. Albus' hands were starting to shake. He knotted them back into Scorpius' hair in order to keep them still.

"I'm sure," Albus said, nodding. He rested his forehead on Scorpius' shoulder, taking a deep breath.

"You don't sound sure," Scorpius said, reaching to tilt Albus' chin up, to meet his gaze. Albus' heart fluttered under the penetrating gaze of the silver eyes he loved so much.

"I'm just nervous all of a sudden," Albus said. "You make me nervous, you know. Everything about you is so… absolutely wonderful. I don't see how I could ever match up."

Scorpius smiled. "You do. Believe me, you do. I love you. I love every bit of you, Albus. I'm nervous too. All of a sudden."

"Do you think…?" Albus said.

"Only if you want to," Scorpius said. "Only if you're sure."

"Of course I _want _to," Albus said.

"But are you sure?"

"Are _you _sure?" Albus countered.

"I think I've been sure since the day I put those words all around the school, and you kissed me. For real that time. Knowing what it meant, and what would change between us, was everything to me. I love you. I was willing to risk our friendship, because I knew how happy we could be, how right everything would be, if we could be together."

"It is right," Albus agreed. "You and me."

"You and me," Scorpius said. "But only if you're certain."

"I'm certain," Albus said. "I want this. I've been dreaming about it for a long time."

Scorpius smiled. "You dream about me?"

"Every night," Albus said. "Every single night."

Scorpius pulled Albus to his chest, cradling him for a moment. "Let's not dream anymore. Let's live our dreams. Shall we?"

Albus nodded against his chest. "Let's."

Scorpius knocked Albus back onto his back, leaning into kiss him carefully again. Albus' heart fluttered hopelessly, childishly. Scorpius was sweet and gentle and loving and everything that Albus could ever dream about.

Scorpius sat up for a moment again, starting to unbutton his shirt. But it wasn't working. His hands were shaking. Albus hadn't noticed it before. He expected Scorpius to be the unwavering rock, but he liked that he wasn't.

"Here," Albus said gently, beckoning Scorpius back toward him. "Let me help you."

Scorpius smiled as Albus undid the buttons carefully. His own hands were trembling, but he kept his resolved face on, meeting Scorpius' gaze the entire time. When they both had finally shrugged out of their shirts, Albus smiled and Scorpius kissed him again, their bare chests pressed together.

"You are…" Scorpius said. "Amazing…"

"I do try," Albus said. And then, chuckling, he pushed Scorpius over so that he was on top, leaning over him. Scorpius seemed shocked, but Albus got the impression that he was impressed and a little thrilled by the turn of events.

"Hey there," Scorpius said, grinning.

"Hey," Albus said. He bent his head and kissed furiously along Scorpius' jaw. Scorp wrapped his arms more tightly around him, kissing in Albus' neck again, sloppy, but terribly thrilling kisses along the side of Albus' face. Albus remained straddling Scorpius at the hips, the tents of their uniform slacks coming painfully close. Albus shifted himself some, and Scorpius groaned as they made real contact. Albus held his own, but his heart skyrocketed.

Scorpius' eyelids drifted closed over his eyes, and Albus kissed his eyelids gently.

"Oh Merlin," Albus moaned, pressing his lips back to Scorpius'. Scorpius' hands slid between them, and Scorpius hooked his fingers inside the waistband of Albus' pants as Albus moved against him. Scorpius started fumbling with Albus' belt, trying to get it undone. Albus could tell he wished more than anything that he was an expert. Albus was glad he wasn't.

Maybe it was a stretch to say it, but in a way they were both virgins. Albus only had experience with girls, and it was superficial. It didn't mean anything to him. This would be the first time that it would matter, with someone whom he really, really cared about—whom he loved deeply. This, finally, was what it was supposed to be. It was going to be a real expression of love, not an outlet for lust. And that was the deeper meaning behind all of it. Albus hoped desperately that Scorpius could see it that way—that this was a first time for Albus, too.

Albus brushed his hands through Scorpius' hair, looking down at him.

"Do you know how much I love you?" he asked. Scorpius' hands paused at their quest temporarily, one finger remaining hooked in Albus' waistband.

Scorpius contemplated for a moment, looking up at Albus through his lashes. He had his thinking face on, like he actually had to ponder for a moment. Then he reached his free hand up and caressed Albus' face, fingers brushing over the skin there.

"I think I can guess," Scorpius informed him.

"Give it a go then," Albus said, running his fingertip softly over Scorpius' lower lip.

Scorpius smiled a little, kissing Albus' finger. "It's probably somewhere along the lines of how much I love you. And obviously… that's a lot. I know how I feel about you, and I don't think I can actually compare it to anything—because it's everything. Even if you felt one percent of what I feel for you, it would be beyond anything I could have ever dreamed about."

Albus kissed him again, bringing back all the heat and passion to mix with the love there. Albus kissed Scorpius furiously, hands twisting into his hair as Scorpius undid the zipper on Albus' uniform pants. His tongue warred wildly with Scorpius' in a struggle for dominance that neither of them won. Scorpius however, hooked both of his arms around Albus and rolled them over again, so that he was back on top, bucking his hips against Albus', creating the most glorious and earth-shattering friction between them.

-CD-

Scorpius laughed as a grumpy—yet totally passionate—Albus flipped them back over again. Scorpius was getting the feeling that Albus liked having control, and Scorpius didn't mind it when Albus was in control. He found it unquestionably hot. Maybe it wasn't a laughing matter, but Scorpius laughed anyway.

Albus gave him a stern look, but there was a smirk playing at his lips. Straddling Scorpius' knees, Albus leaned away from him, from their heated kissing and their wonderful, thrilling contact. Instead, Albus carefully and thoughtfully reached out his hand, palming Scorpius' erection through his pants. Scorpius moaned, biting his lip. He couldn't force his eyelids to stay open and they drifted heavily. The feeling of Albus' hand… well it simply made Scorpius want more. When he peeled a hopeful eyelid open again, he realized that Albus was content and determined to take as much time as he damn well pleased.

Albus traced the fingers of one hand around Scorpius' navel as the other continued to palm farther south. Albus stretched up and gave a careful, sucking kiss on one of Scorpius' nipples, causing him to shudder a little. Albus grinned, pleased at the reaction he had elicited, Scorpius could tell.

"Albus…" Scorpius whispered.

"Yeah?" Albus said, rocking away again. He undid the belt buckle of Scorpius' belt and tore the belt away, flinging it to the floor. It was only a matter of time before he had undone the zipper. Albus looked carefully at Scorpius for a moment, their eyes locking. Scorpius looked back. He had gotten so used to this—to finding everything he could ever possibly want in that set of green eyes.

"I love you," Scorpius whispered.

"I love you too," Albus said. "I wouldn't be here if I didn't."

With a deep breath, Albus began to carefully pull Scorpius' pants down, tugging them lower. Scorpius shook them off his feet, but his heart was racing. Yes, he and Albus had felt each other's cocks a million times. But that was different. That was all done blindly. He felt oddly exposed in his tented boxers, eager, but nervous. Albus seemed intent upon undressing him and that was going to mean a full frontal view—of course, that much was obvious, with what they were intending to do… But Scorpius was worried. He had to match up to any expectations, and he had nothing else by which to judge himself. Not really. All he could do was beg the gods to let Albus like what he saw.

With one hand, Albus reached up to caress Scorpius' face. But he moved away again to pull Scorpius' boxers carefully down over his straining erection. Scorpius' heart skyrocketed in its pace, thudding inhumanely against his breastbone to the point of burst… Albus didn't even try to make it look as if he wasn't staring. Scorpius felt a knot tightening in his stomach as no expression came across Albus' face.

"What's wrong?" Scorpius demanded, his voice higher than usual. Albus' gaze snapped up to meet his, and a smirk again crossed Albus' features.

"Nothing," Albus said, grinning. It was a reassuring grin, like he knew exactly what Scorpius was worried about. "Nothing at all."

And with those words, he seized Scorpius' penis in his hands, giving a careful pulling twist. Scorpius groaned, his head rolling with vertigo as his eyes closed once again.

"Albus…" he moaned.

"I figure you've never had this done before," Albus said coyly. Scorpius could feel Albus sliding down his knees a little bit, and he started at the feeling of pleasure as something warm and wet touched the tip of his cock. His eyes snapped open.

"Albus…" he croaked hoarsely, seeing what Albus, mouth millimeters away from Scorpius' prick, was intending to do.

"Hold still," Albus whispered. Scorpius could feel Albus' hands trembling as they fastened themselves to Scorpius' hips. Scorpius understood. Albus had never done this himself. He may have had it done to him, but it was a whole different world back then. This was something entirely new, in a million different ways, and Scorpius knew it. This was not the same Albus that had slept with Natalia and the others… this was _his _Albus, and this was something only they could share, that only they could discover together.

Scorpius moaned at the feeling of Albus' lips, the sweep of his wet, warm tongue. Albus hollowed his cheeks and Scorpius gripped the sheets of the bed tightly with his fingers—so tight he was certain he was going to rip right through them. But he had never felt anything like this before, never imagined how good anything could feel.

"Oh, Al…" Scorpius whispered, a blissful sigh escaping his mouth. He gripped the sheets more tightly, trying to keep himself from moving and gagging Albus. Albus was already exhibiting talent that Scorpius couldn't imagine ever possessing. It was unfair. No one should be able to have that much power, the ability to render someone completely and utterly into submission for the rest of time. Albus had the power in just his words, but now it was finalized with ironclad strength.

Scorpius was certain that Albus' actions weren't what made him love him so boundlessly, but it was the endless, bottomless, perpetual love that made him so powerless against the actions. He supposed that if he didn't love Albus the feeling would be lesser. But at this moment, the world was revolving more and more slowly.

"I love you," Scorpius moaned.

But he was going to come, and he knew it. There was very little left in him that had any ability to hold on.

"Oh Merlin…" he moaned, peeling his eyes open. It wasn't time yet. He couldn't. Not yet. "Albus… Albus stop."

Albus pulled away, looking up at him. His eyes were lidded, and his lips red and wet, and he looked simply beautiful.

"What's wrong?" he asked gently. "What did I do?"

"You didn't do anything wrong," Scorpius whispered, taking Albus' hand and drawing him up. He cleared his throat, looking at Albus. "I just… it was amazing…I just… don't want to come without you."

Albus smiled at him. "Okay."

"Okay," Scorpius said, stroking Albus' face. He smiled and leaned in to kiss Albus on the nose, the cheek, and the lips. "Now, let's even the playing field, shall we? I feel quite exposed."

Albus laughed, and looked down, as if realizing for the first time that he was still clothed from the waist down, with his pants unzipped only. He laughed a little.

"Fine." Scorpius could sense the hidden nerves under the air of nonchalance. Albus' hands were all but steady as he slid his pants down carefully, under the watchful and curious eye of Scorpius. Scorpius himself was aching for more contact, craving skin to skin, but watching Albus undress was still beyond exhilarating. With a deep breath, Albus hooked his fingers in the waistband of his boxer shorts and eased them off, being careful of his erection.

Scorpius stared for a moment. There were very few things in this world that Scorpius imagined could ever stand in a comparison to the sight in front of him at that moment. Albus' structure, from head to toe, was perfect and beautiful. Everything about the Seeker's build was wrought perfectly in flesh. And his cock… something Scorpius had only felt with his hand before this moment… surpassed his imaginations. As much as Scorpius had been hoping to see it for so long, he hoped even more that it would be the only one he would ever see, and that he would see it a million or a billion more times before his dying day.

He reached out with tentative hands. The first shoved Albus roughly onto his back, putting Scorpius in complete control. The other carefully wrapped around Albus' hard penis. Albus emitted a high moan in the back of his throat, a noise that sent tingles up Scorpius' spine. In a moment, Scorpius was on top of him, their cocks pressing against each other.

Scorpius began to move, causing a friction between him that made him grip the sheets of the bed desperately with a tight, vice-like grip. He whispered Albus' name as Albus eyes drooped in heavily lidded ecstasy.

"Fuck…" Scorpius said. "You feel so good Al… so, so good."

Albus let out a groan in response, arching his hips in desperation for contact.

"I love you," Albus groaned roughly, reaching to wrap his arms around Scorpius, searching for purchase on his back. Scorpius could tell that Albus wanted him closer, so he obliged, lowering himself even more, pressing harder, more friction, more desperation, more love, more lust, more passion. He found that his eyelids were torn between letting him see the looks of absolute pleasure on Albus' face, or drooping closed in a daze…

"Oh Merlin… oh Scorpius…" Albus moaned, the words all catching in his throat. Maybe hours had passed, months years… but Scorpius could imagine continuing like this forever…

"Shh…" Scorpius said, kissing Albus' nose once, after a while. "Are you ready for me—I have to get you ready now, Al."

Albus nodded, another moan escaping from his lips. "Oh Merlin… please do it, Scorp."

Scorpius smiled, and glancing toward the bedside table. The Room of Requirement. Seek and you shall find. He grabbed the tube of lubricant from the table, causing Albus grumble at him when he pulled away from their embrace. He squeezed some onto his hand as Albus got into a comfortable position, giving Scorpius easy access.

"You have to tell me if I hurt you…" Scorpius murmured, taking a deep breath. Albus seemed, all of a sudden, much less nervous than Scorpius was. It almost didn't make sense. But Scorpius was so scared of hurting him…

"I know it's going to hurt Scorp," Albus said gently. "That's sort of part of the deal. But I hear the good parts make it easier…"

"Where do you hear this from?" Scorpius wondered.

"Shh…" Albus said. "I'll be all right. Now come on. I want you so badly, Scorpius. You're making me crazy the longer you fret about this." Albus pulled Scorpius' head down to kiss him passionately and sloppily for a moment. Then it was his turn to take a deep breath.

"All right," Scorpius said. He reached out tentatively, extending only one finger as he settled between Albus' legs. Albus gasped as the finger made contact with his small hole, and Scorpius gulped. It was a gasp of pleasure, yes, of contact and heat, but such a small space made Scorpius worried. He wanted to fuck Albus so badly, but he couldn't imagine it even working… mechanically…

"Hey," Albus said, reaching out to stroke Scorpius' hair. "I want you. I need you. I love you. Please… please Scorpius."

Scorpius couldn't resist Albus now. He was too tempting, too hot… too much of everything Scorpius could ever want or need… He slid one hesitant finger inside the heat and kissed Albus carefully while he did it. Albus relaxed against the pillows, combing his fingers into Scorpius' hair. While Scorpius worked slowly and carefully, Albus made little noises in the back of his throat, pleasure mixed with a hint of discomfort. As Scorpius slid in a careful second finger Albus let out a little grunt. His kisses were becoming more impatient and much more demanding, and Scorpius, worried as he was, found it irresistible.

It was the icing on top of everything he had ever wanted.

Scorpius used what knowledge he had to prepare Albus as best as he could. His brain was warring with itself. One half, the rational half, was telling him to be as careful and methodical about all of this as possible. The other half was urging him to go now, lusting after Albus, who was obviously lusting after him. Albus was trying to hold himself still, Scorpius could tell, but he was eager and hot, and sweat was building on his skin.

"Are you ready?" Scorpius asked hoarsely. He wasn't sure what he would do if Albus wasn't. He wanted him. He wanted every inch of him, inside and out, and he wanted it for himself. Every fantasy he ever had culminated in this moment, and they were all playing in his head—the ultimate expression of love, and the ultimate display of passion. So much passion. Scorpius' heart was thundering in his chest.

"Yeah," Albus said. His voice was rough too, throaty and low. Scorpius found himself temporarily distracted by Albus' mouth, remembering where it had been moments before—moments? Or had it been hours? Albus jerked him out of his momentary distraction with two words: "Are you?"

Scorpius nodded eagerly. He positioned himself deliberately, and thrust inside of Albus with a careful pace.

Albus whimpered, a noise Scorpius had never heard him make before. It was a sound of pain and passion, but truth be told, mostly pain. Albus' fingers clenched around Scorpius' upper arms, squeezing tightly. But Scorpius was torn between the worry and the sensation of heat and tightness that was surrounding his cock—a million times more exhilarating than he had imagined.

"Oh shit…" Albus said.

"Albus," Scorpius said.

"No… give me a minute," Albus grunted, taking a deep breath. He opened his scrunched up eyes.

"Are you okay?" Scorpius asked. He was having a hard time. His body was screaming at him to thrust his hips, to move, to… but his brain was urging him to take care of Albus first.

"I'm fine," Albus said. "Oh Merlin… feels good… hurts… but feels good. Feels full. Oh… Scorpius…"

At his own name falling from those god-given lips, Scorpius could no longer remain stationary.

"Albus… have to move…" Scorpius moaned, pulling out slowly. Albus' eyes snapped shut again and he groaned.

"Oh Scorp… Scorpius…" Albus said, urging Scorpius on. He pushed in a bit, still going slowly, and Albus yelped a little.

"I just… I want to… I want you… to…" Scorpius was losing all coherent train of thought.

"I'm okay," Albus assured him, panting, and as if to second his reply, he began to move his own hips, thrusting back against Scorpius, albeit very carefully. The grip he had on Scorpius' arms had relaxed considerably and he was now simply gripping like he couldn't imagine letting go.

Scorpius couldn't imagine letting go. He was, without any doubt, experiencing the single greatest moment of his life, here and now.

He pushed in harder and Albus' let out an even louder, startled gasp.

"Oh Scorp!" he shouted.

"What… what did I do?" Scorpius demanded.

"No… I was good… it was good," Albus said. "I'm pretty sure that was where you're supposed to hit."

"Oh… you mean your prostate," Scorpius said.

"Oh Merlin… yes, do it again, please," Albus begged, thrusting forward.

They lapsed back into a pattern, with Scorpius holding himself up over Albus, moving against him. Albus' arms fell limp at his sides. But then, Scorpius remembered… poor Albus' cock was still at full attention, completely unattended. Scorpius' was getting the king's treatment, and Albus was left unaided. He reached carefully to encircle Albus' straining erection with his hand, causing an even louder exclamation from Albus. Scorpius began to time his thrusts with his ministrations to Albus' penis, and Albus' moans and Scorpius' groans accented all of it.

Soon they became nothing more than a tangle of arms and legs and sweat, moving with each other. Scorpius wasn't sure how they held on any longer than seconds, but Albus was whimpering more loudly by the moment, his face indicating how close he was to the edge of pleasure.

"Come on, Albus. Come for me. Come on… come for me," Scorpius urged. But it was obvious Albus didn't need to be asked twice.

"Oo-oh… ungh… Sco-or-pius…." Albus spilled himself in between them, coating his own abdomen and Scorpius' too. But at the look on Albus' face of utter pleasure, Scorpius did the same, filling Albus even more with all of him.

He liked that idea. The idea that he was inside of Albus, and even when he pulled away, there would still be some of him inside…

They collapsed together, a sweaty, heated ball of limbs. Scorpius pulled away carefully. Albus moved closer to him on the bed. Scorpius fumbled for his wand, waving it to clean both of them off somewhat. Albus put his arms around Scorpius' middle, leaning into his side.

"How are you feeling?" Scorpius wondered, gently stroking Albus' cheek.

"Amazing…" Albus said. "So amazing. You have no idea."

"It doesn't hurt?" Scorpius wondered.

"Of course it does," Albus said. "But there's more to it than that. What about you? Feeling good?"

Scorpius chuckled, kissing Albus' sweaty shoulder. "Yes. Feeling really good. Of course I am."

"Yeah?" Albus said. "Good."

"I love you so much," Scorpius told him, putting both of his arms around him. "It's kind of embarrassing."

Albus laughed. "Embarrassing, huh?"  
>"Definitely," Scorpius said. "Because it makes me act all dopey for you."<p>

Albus laughed. "I love you too, Scorpius. So much that I'm embarrassed to be seen with you… wait…"

Scorpius laughed. "You're a weirdo."

"Ruining the romantic moment," Albus informed him. "That's what you're doing." But he was chuckling. He reached up to put his hand over Scorpius' heart. Scorpius knew his heart was still beating a hundred thousand beats in a minute, and he could feel it thudding against Albus' hand.

Scorpius folded his own hand over Albus' and brought it to his lips to kiss.

"In all seriousness," Scorpius said. "I love you more than anything in the entire world."

"I know," Albus said. "I love you too. And that was the best thing I have ever done. Ever. It means so much to me, Scorpius. I love you so much."

Scorpius wrapped his arms around Albus tightly, pulling him close.

"I think I could get used to this," he murmured.

"I think I could too," Albus said. "Let's make this a habit, shall we? A trend?"

"I think that's a good idea," Scorpius said. He was imaging many nights in his future, Albus curling up against his side, Scorpius wrapping him up, and the two of them drifting off into a perfect sleep in each other's arms. At the moment, he never wanted to let Albus go. He wanted to wake up next to him for every morning for the rest of his life, with no exceptions.

"I'm pretty sure I have reached the definition of hopelessly in love," Albus said. "Impossibly in love. I'm never felt such a… I don't even know how to describe it. I think I would basically do anything for you if you asked me right now. Or ever. I just… I love you and I can't make rhyme or reason of my brain when I'm around you. All I know is that I love you. A painfully pleasant amount."

Scorpius kissed his head and cheeks and squeezed him even closer. "Hopelessly in love."

"Desperately," Albus said.

"And I'm in love with you," Scorpius said. "And I can't imagine it otherwise. You have me. You can't get rid of me now—if you wanted to."

"Nope," Albus said. "Not a chance. You're stuck."

"And willingly at that," Scorpius said.

-CD-

Albus stirred, feeling empty space next to him. He sat up. Scorpius was gone. His tie was still there, his robes piled on the floor, but the rest of his clothes were gone.

He slid off the bed, ignoring the sharp pain he felt in doing so. He reached for his robes, which had the Marauder's Map in the pocket.

"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good," he recited, tapping it with his wand. When the map was alive with the moving black dots of Hogwarts students, Albus spent a few minutes trying to find Scorpius among the moving ink. He had no idea what time it was, but by the look of it, it was sometime in the middle of the night. Every student was in their dormitory. That meant that Albus and Scorpius had kept each other company well through dinner, not even thinking about food, and then drifted off at some point.

Now, however, Albus was pretty hungry.

He finally spotted Scorpius on the map, and his dot was returning at a steady place, toward the Room of Requirement, where it would disappear in time for Albus to see him.

As if on cue, Albus looked up when the dot reached the spot, and Scorpius came through the door. He was levitating several large plates with him, all of which were covered up by shining domes.

"Oh hey," Scorpius said, closing the door behind him. "How long have you been up?"

"Just a minute or so," Albus said, yawning.

"Put some clothes on, will you? I don't want the food to get cold, and I can't look at you like that without going hard," Scorpius informed him.

Albus snorted. "Brusque."

"You know me," Scorpius said, setting the plates down on one of the tables. He turned to grin at Albus. "You think I'm kidding."

Albus laughed and found his boxers and his pants, pulling both on.

"Sorry, I'm too hungry not to," he said, walking gingerly over to the couch, near the tables where the plates were.

"I love you," Scorpius said, bending his head to kiss him on the lips, a pleasant good morning kiss.

"I love you too," Albus said, pulling a plate of eggs and bacon toward him. "Gotta love the house elves though too… Any idea what time it is?"

"It's about two in the morning," Scorpius said.

"Ah…" Albus said. "I'm starving."

"Me too," Scorpius said, reaching for one of the plates too. "That's why I brought six plates for two people."

"Good plan," Albus said.

"Did you sleep well?" Scorpius asked him.

"Yeah," Albus said. "I'm a little… I guess sore is the right word."

Scorp put an arm around him, rubbing his back. "Well just so you know, last night… afternoon… whatever it is… was the best one of my entire life."


	69. Real Quidditch

_**A/N: Hey all! Just letting you know that after this, there's only the epilogue left. Coming soon!**_

**Chapter 69**

**Real Quidditch**

"I can't remember the last time I was so excited for something," Albus said, bouncing on his heels as he, Scorpius and James walked up the stairs.

"Last Quidditch World Cup," James said.

"Shush," Albus said.

"You went to the last World Cup?" Scorpius questioned.

"I can't believe I haven't told you this!" Albus said, throwing his hands in the air in excitement. "My mum got tickets for the five of us because she was reporting. We all went to the Brazil vs. Russia match in Istanbul… I still can't believe Russia managed to make it to a World Cup, truth be told…"

"I can't either," Scorpius said, shaking his head. "They aren't exactly notable."

Albus laughed loudly. "Here we are."

They walked through the doors into the Minister's box. James had seats a couple of rows up with other family members of the British team. Scorpius and Albus' seats were just a few rows down.

Albus was using his much loved Christmas present from Scorpius: the tickets to the Britain/France qualifying match for the World Cup. Whoever won this would go on to play Bulgaria for the spot in the World Cup in the Netherlands. The other seat was going to be Germany against the US or Mexico, depending on who won the US/Mexico game the next day.

The game was in the countryside of northern France, some distant location uninhabited by Muggles. Scorpius and Albus were both waving British flags. James was sitting up with Daphne's parents.

"If Britain gets in the World Cup, we're going," Scorpius announced.

"I'm going if Britain gets in or not," Albus said. "I'm going to be the Seeker on the British team in four years. I promise."

"Okay," Scorpius said. "I believe you."

"Good," Albus said. "Let's see… Call me a loser, but I'm pretty sure I can name every player on the starting British team… Seeker is Skyar, Keeper is Buckworth, Beaters are Keane and Davenport, and the chasers are Cross, Polk and Wyatt."

Scorpius laughed. "You are in your element."

"That I am," Albus said. "Arabelle Buckworth is the Montrose Keeper. She's pretty young—probably will still be on the real team when I get there next year…"  
>"She pretty?" Scorpius teased.<p>

"Ha ha, very funny," Albus said, elbowing him. "I think maybe you should be more concerned about the Beater. Sam Winestone. _He _is attractive."

Scorpius frowned at him. "Are you trying to annoy me?"

"Yep," Albus said.

"I love you," Scorpius said, dropping his voice. He chuckled a little.

"I know," Albus said. "Merlin, I feel like I haven't been to a Quidditch match in years. They always play while we're at school."

"What was the last one you went to?" Scorpius wondered.

"A Montrose vs. Ballycastle match over Christmas sixth year," Albus declared. "Montrose won. Three hundred forty to one-sixty."

"Wow," Scorpius said. "Good game?"

"Not bad," Albus said. "Everyone knew Montrose was going to win."

"I'm sure," Scorpius said. "I think it's going to begin soon…"  
>"Yeah, it is," Albus said.<p>

"_Bienvenue au match de Quidditch, France contre La Grande-Bretagne!"_

"Welcome to the the France versus Great Britain Quidditch match!" The English boomed in the minister's box, overpowering the French of the outside stadium. "The away team, hailing from the United Kingdom is taking to the pitch now. Captained by their Keeper, Arabelle Buckworth, and the players, Cross, Polk, Wyatt, Davenport, Keane, annnd… Skyar!"

The British team in the red and blue swooped onto the field, led by Buckworth and Skyar.

"And now the French team, captained by Seeker Andre D'Artange, with team members LaBouche, Blanche, Lamarck, D'Arc, Boutange, and… Gouges!"

"This is seriously the best Christmas present anyone has ever given me," Albus said. "You shouldn't have done this."

"Yeah, well I'll admit I had a little more than best-mate friendship influencing me at that time," Scorpius informed him, leaning forward in his seat while the official stood in the center of pitch, ready to release the balls.

Albus laughed. "Well at least you benefit from it. I won't say it won me over. I think I was gone at that point. Albeit grudgingly."

"Don't say grudgingly," Scorpius said. "Edit for me. I want to think that you were quite pleased with the discovery that you harbored a deep ardor for me, your ultimate paramour."

Albus laughed. "Fine. I'll edit: I had a deep unquenched thirst for you to be my _paramour."_

Scorpius rolled his eyes. "Never mind."

"Good thing you love me," Albus said.

"Good thing I put up with you, is more like," Scorpius said, squeezing his hand.

"Yeah, yeah. Be quiet," Albus said. He leaned forward in his seat, watching as the players swooped around the pitch at the onset of the game.

"Wouldn't it be nice if the game went on for a week?" Albus wondered dreamily.

"Let me get this straight… You're allowed to talk but I'm not?" Scorpius teased.

"Shh! If it's not about Quidditch, I don't care," Albus said. He grabbed the omnioculars he had brought and put them to his eyes, peering out at the field. He zeroed in on Daphne, who had the Quaffle tucked on her arm, dodging Bludgers and players. She swooped and spun through the air, throwing an almost angry shot at the hoops.

"Cross shoots… and she scores! Ten points to Britain, from head Chaser Daphne Cross!" the announcer declared. Albus heard James whoop behind him.

He loved real Quidditch. Hogwarts Quidditch was a child's playground in comparison. Real Quidditch was aggressive, and intense, and a mix of a million people, all like Albus. They all knew the game like the back of their hands, and loved it like their firstborns. Bludgers were shot with no concern and Chasers swooped and dove and Seekers were separate appendages who were just as skilled in Seeking as trickery and feints.

"Do you understand why I want to make this my life?" Albus said, desperate to be on the pitch with all of them.

"Yes," Scorpius said. "I can see how much you love it."

"Don't you love it though?" Albus said. "You better get used to watching the games. I expect you to be at every single one of mine."

"Of course I love it," Scorpius said. "And I wouldn't dream of missing a moment of you playing."

"Good," Albus said, laughing.

"Merlin, look at that girl play Quidditch," Scorpius said, snapping his head back to the game. Albus followed his gaze. Daphne had the Quaffle again, and she was streaking through the players again.

"And another ten points for Britain by Cross!" the announcer cheered giddily, clearly a Britain supporter himself.

"Wow," Albus said. "How d'you think James ended up with a girl like her?"

"No idea," Scorpius said.

-CD-

"That brings the score to one hundred sixty to seventy, in favor of Britain," the announcer proclaimed as the French team scored again.

Scorpius glanced over at Albus, who hadn't said anything in a while, but who was, instead, completely immersed in the match before him. Scorpius was able to notice some obvious differences between Albus and James, and Albus and many of the other Quidditch spectators. James was a shouter, and much of the box was like him, cheering loudly. Albus wasn't.

Albus was fully immersed in the game, and he was silent about it. It was simply body language. When things got tense, he would lean forward, or clench his hands on his thighs. When the French would score, Albus' shoulders would droop, but when the British scored, he got a smile on his face that was different from anything Scorpius had ever seen. Albus' mind was on the field, completely and utterly, playing the game with them. In fact, Scorpius could almost see the cogs churning in Albus' brain, figuring out what he would do next if he was running the show… He was completely intent on the action in front of them.

Scorpius was fairly content to watch both Albus and the game. He felt like he could watch the game simply by watching Albus. When someone did something stupid on the pitch, no matter the team, Albus would shake his head a little. Or he would nod approvingly to himself, clearly making mental notes. In their entire time as friends, Albus and Scorpius had not seen a Quidditch game together. They had separated to sit with their own houses for the Ravenclaw versus Hufflepuff match. Scorpius had never really seen Albus watch a game, and it was simply mesmerizing.

"Their Seekers need to up their action a little," Albus said. It was the first thing he had said in a long time.

"Oh?" Scorpius said, looking back to the game.

"Yeah, they're pretty boring," Albus said. "I don't know… not boring so much as… I feel like they're not doing everything in their power to win the game… but they don't know about it… I don't know. I'm not saying I could do their job better, just that I would do it different. Obviously I couldn't do it better. These are world class Seekers…"

He trailed off into silence again. Albus pulled his omnioculars back up to his eyes, skimming out at the crowd. He lapsed into his reverie again, and Scorpius turned his attention to the game as well, squeezing Albus' hand. The game had a fast pace of scoring. It was easy to see that Daphne was the leading scorer on the British team. Albus was going to have his work cut out for him on Montrose, trying to make Snitch catches in games against Appleby, before Daphne jacked their score too high.

And then suddenly, Albus was leaning forward farther than ever in his seat. The whole box around them erupted in loud, over excited cheers. The British Seeker had started a rocket at an upward angle of about eighty-seven degrees, with the French Seeker hot on his tail, bound for the same destination. But at that point, the British Seeker stopped, causing an unwitting French Seeker to speed past him and farther up. The British Seeker dropped at a perfect ninety degrees, grabbing the Snitch out of the air as he plummeted toward the ground. Skyar then halted in his drop, holding the Snitch above his hand, victorious!

The cheers from the British were unmistakable.

"_Skyar a attrapé le Snitch! La Grande-Bretagne a gagné!"_ The French announcer cheered, though their was anger in her voice.

"Skyar has caught the snitch! Britain has won! Britain will move on to play Bulgaria next weekend in England, for the spot in the final of the Quidditch World Cup! The final score is Britain three hundred thirty, to France with ninety!"

The British stands were screaming, and the box was filled with shouts and cheers for the British victory.

Albus was on his feet, shouting and clapping with the rest of them, his first verbal cheer since the game started.

"That's going to be me," Albus said. "Just you watch. Skyar's not young, after all. I bet he doesn't have four more years in him."

Scorpius laughed. He could get used to the idea of seeing Albus play in cup games. He could definitely get used to it.

"I believe you," Scorpius said. "You'll definitely do it."

"I can't believe I get to do this for my life," Albus said. "I can't believe that this one thing… that I've always wanted… I have it. I'm going to play professional Quidditch… for the Montrose Magpies… I can't believe it…"

Albus moved toward the front of the box. From there, he could see the cheering Brits in the stands, and then on the field, in their blue and red robes, was the team. They were in a massive group hug of seven, arms around each other and cheering.

"You want that?" Scorpius said. "You can easily have it."

"I know," Albus said. "I know. Everything I want is right in front of me."

Scorpius smiled, standing next to him. "And I'm here too."

"You're part of everything I want," Albus said. "A big part."

"Good," Scorpius said. "Because you're all I need."


	70. Epilogue: The Happily Ever After Moment

**Chapter 70**

**Epilogue: Four Years Later**

**The Happily Ever After Moment**

"You getting up?" Scorpius wondered as Albus slid out of bed.

"Yup," Albus said. He bent down to kiss Scorpius on the forehead. "When do you plan on leaving?"

"Not sure… but I will get up anyway," Scorpius said. "I'll make breakfast." He stretched his arms above his head.

"I'll shower," Albus said.

"I might run into the office before I come to the match," Scorpius said. "Big case you know. I wouldn't want your dad to fire me."

"Fat chance," Albus said. "Besides, it's a weekend."

"I feel like aurors are always working," Scorpius complained, yawning. "Go shower. I'll make some eggs or something."

Scorpius walked into the kitchen, yawning to himself. They had an apartment in London now, between the two of them. He was working under Albus' father, as an auror.

From the kitchen, he could see into the living room. On the wall was an array of pictures. There was Albus in his Montrose uniform, brandishing a captured snitch. And then there was Scorpius with his Mum and Dad after he completed auror training, and the two of them at the England versus Germany Quidditch World Cup after they finished school, waving a British flag at the end, when England emerged victorious.

They had moved into their apartment shortly after Albus had become the primary Seeker for Montrose. He hadn't played two games before he was ranked number two in the League. Not a season later, he was ranked number one. It seemed too good to be true. They liked living together. It was nice and it brought them, if anything, closer.

Not five minutes later, Albus emerged from their bedroom, shoulders dripping, towel wrapped around his waist. "Did we do laundry?"

"If by that you mean did _I _do laundry, yes," Scorpius teased him. Albus cleaned, Scorpius did laundry and occasionally made the bed, and did most of the cooking, because Albus wasn't all that great at cooking.

"Good," Albus said. "Thought I didn't have any underwear…"

"Drawer," Scorpius said.

"Merlin… the last place I would look is the place it actually belongs," Albus said, shaking his head and ducking back into their bedroom. Scorpius laughed, plating some food for both of them. Albus came back out, pulling a t-shirt over his head.

"May the pregame ritual begin," Scorpius said, laughing. Albus put his egg on toast, making a sandwich.

"I don't like losing," Albus informed him. "This match is ending on my terms. I'm catching that bloody Snitch, even if it means we lose because I caught it when we were down too much."

"Albus…" Scorpius said.

"It depends," Albus said. "If this is a debacle…"

"What makes you think it will be a debacle?"

"It will be a debacle for them," Albus said, grinning maliciously.

-CD-

Scorpius plopped down between James and Ginny. James was arguing with Daphne, who was grumbling under her breath. She was a round six months pregnant with their first kid and missing the Quidditch pitch, despite being thrilled about having a child.

"How's Albus this morning?" Ginny asked him.

"Albus," Scorpius said. "That's exactly how he was. Says it will be a debacle. He didn't seem one hundred percent sure what side was going to experience any sort of devastation. I think by the end he resolved that it can go either way."

"Always doubting himself," Lily complained from behind them, where she was sitting with her fiance, Vlad, whom she had met in Russia where she was working on some sort of Ministry _thing (_that title was coined by Albus) involving international magical cooperation. Scorpius wasn't sure how Albus had managed to secure so many seats—five more people had yet to join the party. There was a friends and family box, but Scorpius was certain Albus had to have about twenty-five percent of it.

"Excuse me," the familiar voice of Rose Weasley said, somewhat politely. "Extremely large pregnant woman coming through."

Rose was bigger than Daphne. She was eight months pregnant and didn't care to stop running the world. She was involved in Magical Law at the Ministry. She had decided against the auror path and preferred what was not so much a desk job as a bench job. She had clawed herself up to practically the Wizengamot, refusing to be deterred. When she and Scorpius got their NEWT scores after seventh year, they tied. O's in everything, except for Scorpius' E in herbology and Rose's E in potions. She nearly had an aneurism.

"How are you doing?" Scorpius asked her as she sat down on the other side of Daphne.

"I feel like I'm going to explode," Rose announced. Lysander flopped next to her, grinning. Scorpius was certain that the reason that they were still together was the fact that she liked bossing people around, and he didn't mind being bossed around. And they loved each other. That too.

The last to arrive was the family of three. Scarlet came first. She had decided to go into Herbological Healing, and now worked under several Healers at St. Mungo's. Following her was Nick, who was playing as Beater for the Caerphilly Catapults. The two of them had gotten married in the summer after Nick finished Hogwarts. In his arms he carried the best behaved child in the world, their two-year-old son Jason. Jason was in love with Quidditch, but mostly the Snitch. Scarlet had him pegged to be a Seeker when he started Hogwarts in nine years.

It was interesting to think about. Three years in a row, players were recruited from Hogwarts. Albus, then Nick, and then the next year, Lily. Lily had been the only one to decline.

` "I think it's starting soon," Harry said, excitement rampant in his voice. Ginny got out her notebook, still working for the _Prophet _as the Quidditch correspondent.

"Welcome to the World Cup Quarter Finals, between England and The Republic of Austria!" The voice boomed out across the stadium. "First onto the pitch is our English team, captained by their Keeper, Arabelle Buckworth, and the players, Brown, Polk, Watson, Hemmings, Upton and… _Potter!"_

Scorpius cheered loudly with their entire family and friends section. It seemed that there were many fans in the stands that cared for Albus too. The girls fawned over him, calling him gorgeous, even though he'd made it pretty evident on more than one occasion that he could never possibly return the ardor. For some reason it made them even more crazy for him.

Scorpius focused his omnioculars on Albus who was hovering above the rest of the team in midair as the Austrian team made its appearance, swooping inward with their red and white robes. Albus had his game face on, of course. He was already calculating, a grin on his face. He had the Potter family crest on the back of one of his gloves, and on the other, the Malfoy family. It was another superstition of his. He had certain ways he went about playing. For instance, the team had the option, the night before this match, of staying in Cornwall, where the game was to take place. But Albus was insistent about going home and coming back. He thought he played better if he slept at home before home games, whether he was playing for Montrose or England.

It had been a big day when Albus found out he was going to be the new Seeker for the English team. It was about as big as when Scorpius got accepted into the Auror program, and after that, when he finally made it through training. They had huge celebrations in honor of moments like this. This one came after a Montrose home match against Appleby. Montrose had won, of course—they had actually lost very few games in their entire time with Albus as Seeker. And the English coach approached him, offering out his hand. Albus nearly fainted, and Buckworth had laughed, clapping him on the back.

As Scorpius watched, Albus now turned his head in the direction of the box. He knew Scorpius was there, and Scorpius figured Albus had a good idea that he was using his omnioculars. Albus' grin widened and he gave a quick wave and a nod. Scorpius smiled to himself.

Maybe it didn't matter how the match ended. Everything was perfect, no matter what happened. Tonight, Scorpius and Albus would go home thrilled, or maybe unhappy. They would go about life as usual, and get into bed and fall asleep in each other's arms. In the morning, they would wake up and share breakfast and live in the state of absolute bliss that they had established around each other. In the state of complete and utter love.

-CD-

Albus tightened his grip on his broomstick, clearing his throat and looking down at the official, an American by the name of Zoe Rochester. The balls were released, and with a blast on her whistle, the game began. Albus shot off, amidst a flurry of excited, forceful Quidditch players, swinging Beater's bats, and shouts in English and German.

His Austrian counterpart was a beautiful girl about his age, by the name of Liesel Schoefletz. Albus didn't underestimate her.

But he was determined to win. The eyes of his family members and most of the English Wizarding community were on him. He was supposed to win. In fact, in his gut, he knew personally that he had to. Nothing would be different if he didn't, yes, but here was an immortal longing in him. He finally had this opportunity, one he had always dreamed about.

There was this unstoppable happiness inside of him. Yes, it competed with that constant sadness too. He had that little depressed twang inside of him still, which would come out at the worst moments, leaving him hopeless and crushed, in bed, where Scorpius would find him later. But it was less frequent now, and Scorpius knew how to get him out of it. Or help him through it.

Scorpius was everything. They had the perfect life together. And that, combined with the brilliant professional Seeker life he had in front of him, meant that any depression was crushed under the weight of the extreme happiness he had.

They were going to just fine. In fact, Albus was pretty sure this was the only acceptable place to ever use the words "happily ever after."

The End

* * *

><p><strong>A Final Note from the Author: <strong> Hi everyone! I just want to say a huge and amazing thank you for reading! To those of you who reviewed, I know I'm not much for replying, but I hope you know it meant the world to me every time I got a review. This was my first slash fic, and I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. There were some really important, personal things in here, even though I'm basically the exact opposite of both Scorpius and Albus... I thank you!

And of course, I can't help but put in a little promo for my other stories- I'm not primarily a slash author, so I understand that many of you might not be all that interested in my other fics. I'm just about to start a second Rose/Scorpius fic, if you would like to stay tuned! Haha. If you have any suggestions for what I shoudl write, feel free to put them in a review or a PM. Thank you for reading, and this has been an amazing six month-long project for me.

Very truly yours, caputdraconis14, February 18, 2012


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